Scientist, Molecular Biology, Antibody Discovery

Summary of the group

The Biologics Engineering (BE) department at AstraZeneca is constantly pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients, with a passion for discovery and a pipeline to show for it. We're using our expertise in biologics engineering to enable novel therapeutic approaches to Oncology, Respiratory, Inflammatory, Cardiovascular and Infectious disease. We offer a unique and strong collaborative network as part of the AstraZeneca family, as together we explore new and exciting technologies.

This opportunity

The Department of Biologics Engineering in Gaithersburg, MD is seeking a talented and highly motivated Scientist to utilize and enhance our Antibody discovery platform. The successful candidate will aide in discovery of antibodies for various therapeutic programs and provide capability improvements on our technology platform. We are seeking a candidate with expertise in molecular biology for antibody engineering that is excited by research at the interface between technology and biology. The candidate will operate independently and in collaboration with a diverse group of scientists to advance pipeline projects and further technological innovations. The selected individual will be a well-organized and a highly productive bench scientist that can design and execute experiments efficiently, as well as analyze, interpret and present data to multidisciplinary project teams.

Required Education/Experience

B.S. in molecular biology or other related discipline with 5+ years experience

OR

M.S. in molecular biology or other related discipline with 2+ years experience

Main Job Responsibilities

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Routinely generate large antibody libraries for display technologies
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Perform emulsion PCR and DNA prep for subcloning of libraries or for single constructs
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Design primers, troubleshoot Sanger sequencing, analyze and align sequences
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Transfect, express, and purify antibodies in small scale
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Characterize antibodies for affinity using BLI, epitope binning and binding in ELISA
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Run lab automation for high-throughput assays and coordinate with automation team

Required skills

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Extensive background in advanced molecular biology techniques, including design and execution of molecular cloning schemes for library construction, PCR, and recombinant antibody expression
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Experience with bioinformatics and sequence alignment software
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Experience with laboratory automation to prepare and conduct biochemical assays
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Experience with advanced features of MS Excel and graphing software for data analysis
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Ability to draft, execute and record experiments in a timely manner and maintain an excellent laboratory notebook
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Proven experience to troubleshoot, optimize and execute experiments independently
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Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Desired skills

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Expertise in high-throughput assays for antibody characterization, such as 384-well ELISA
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Experience in Next Generation Sequencing and Sanger sequencing
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Experience in antibody development in a biotech/pharma setting

Special Skills / Abilities / Knowledge / Behavioral Competencies

Strong communication skills are highly desirable. The individual should also be self-motivated, embrace new technologies and have demonstrated an ability to work within teams.
Salary: Negotiable

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