New Scientist Jobs

Virology/Cell Culture Production Leader - GMP

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:20:25 +0100

• Title: Production Leader: Viral Manufacturing / Mammalian Cell Culture
• Location: Keele, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
• Salary: Around £35k + Benefits
• Strong scientific degree and Biopharmaceutical experience ESSENTIAL
• Experience of a GMP environment ESSENTIAL
• Knowledge of Mammalian Cell Culture, various Host Cell Lines (e.g. HEK 293, PER.C6, Vero, CHO etc) and Virology ESSENTIAL

Summary

An excellent opportunity for an experienced Scientist with strong management skills, to lead an operations team within an industry-renowned Biopharmaceutical organisation. This is a Process-focused role and requires experience from a GMP-regulated viral manufacturing setting.

The Company

A leading manufacturer of Biopharmaceuticals with a GMP-compliant facility in Keele, Staffordshire. The UK site is a centre of excellence for manufacturing proteins, viruses, DNA and cell products, for use in commercial, clinical and pre-clinical products. The company has recently merged with a highly respected European organisation and is going through a period of expansion.

The Role

Reporting to the Associate Operations Director, you will lead a small team within the Operations department, which consists of around 10 specialist Scientists in total. You will be responsible for organising the team’s workload, setting cGMP Production programmes and overseeing process optimisation, filtration and scale-up activities. Using your technical expertise to the full, you will provide scientific guidance and troubleshoot problems, looking for ways to improve performance and enhance the communication with other departments and external clients.

Experience

You MUST be able to provide evidence that you have covered all of the following in your career:

 Mammalian cell culture techniques across a number of scales (such as shake flask, 5L bioreactor, wave bioreactor, 50/250L bioreactor)
 Experience in host cell lines (e.g. HEK 293, PER.C6, Vero or CHO)
 Virology experience across several virus types frequently used in gene therapy or vaccine applications such as HSV, adenovirus, AAV and Lentivirus
 Team management
 Good degree (ideally PhD or MSc) in a related subject

Gene Targeting Scientist - Scientist I

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:53:51 +0100

MedImmune
Granta Park, Cambridge, UK

Gene Targeting Scientist - Scientist I

MedImmune, the global biologics unit of AstraZeneca, is committed to developing better medicines that help people live healthier, longer and more satisfying lives. The company is focused on the areas of infection, respiratory and inflammatory disease, oncology and neuroscience, with two marketed products and a robust pipeline of promising new product candidates. MedImmune’s state-of-the-art Cambridge site (formerly Cambridge Antibody Technology) is home to around 450 employees, and serves as the company’s European hub for research and development.

As part of our ongoing focus on research we are looking for a new person to join our Technology team as a Gene Targeting specialist. As a Scientist II you will spend most of your time performing laboratory based research but will also be expected to help shape the strategic direction of the group.

The primary goal will be to carry out practical work to support the generation and molecular validation of new GMM lines at MedImmune Cambridge. You will be responsible for devising optimal gene targeting strategies and performing the appropriate validation work post delivery including RT-PCR and TaqMan assays. Routine and advanced cloning to assemble a variety of vector types will also be required in the role.

A key activity will be to liaise / manage external service providers to ensure timely progression of projects and as the group develops there will be opportunities to supervise / train less experienced members of the team

This role would be suitable for a candidate with a PhD and several years Post Doctoral experience in molecular genetics, developmental biology, biochemistry, cell biology or immunology.

You must have extensive knowledge and experience of gene targeting using ES cells and building gene targeting vectors. Within this you should have experience of culturing MEF’s and ES cells. In addition you will also have extensive knowledge and experience of the very latest Molecular Biology techniques.

Experience with site specific recombinase systems for genome engineering and recombineering for vector construction would be a distinct advantage.

Postdoctoral Fellow - Mouse Behavioural Genetics - Ref: 80702

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:24:02 +0100

Salary range £28000 to £34433 dependent on experience.

Closing Date: 16th September 2010.

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is a world leader in genomic research, with an expanding scientific programme dedicated to understanding gene function in health & disease.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow with a background in mouse genetics or behavioural neuroscience to study the olfactory mechanisms of instinct in mammals.

The successful applicant will join Darren Logan's group at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. The position will involve a combination of genetic engineering technologies, behavioural analysis, genome informatics and neural activation studies in mice, to understand how pheromones and their receptors together instruct social interaction. The group is interested in a number of instinctive, olfactory-mediated behaviours including aggression, fear, sexual attraction and feeding.

The Sanger Institute is a world leader in large-scale genome sequencing, informatics and the production of animal models to study gene function; providing the successful candidate with excellent resources and a stimulating research environment. There is a commitment to personal and professional development in the group, and the successful applicant will be encouraged to develop their own ideas, drive their research project and establish a strong academic profile.

Essential Skills:
We are seeking a highly motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher with a background in sensory biology, neuroscience, behaviour, or another relevant discipline, who may have a proven track record in genetic research or who has demonstrated exceptional potential during a recently completed PhD. Molecular biology experience and a willingness to work with animals is essential.

Ideal Skills:
The ideal candidate will have a strong record of published work and be comfortable presenting their research to diverse audiences. Experience in any of the following techniques would be desirable: DNA sequence or genomic analysis; informatics; confocal microscopy; immunohistochemistry; construction of gene targeting vectors; ES cell culture; primary neuronal cell culture; calcium imaging; expression of recombinant proteins; analysis of animal behaviour.

Other information:
Postdoctoral Fellows are typically in their first or second postdoctoral position as part of a period of early career research training. The post is a three year fixed-term contract. Successful applicants who have submitted their PhD thesis and are awaiting their PhD award to be confirmed will be placed on a transitional pay point, currently £25,845. On confirmation applicants will be moved on to the pay scale above.

Informal enquiries to Darren Logan (dl5@sanger.ac.uk)

Benefits:
The Institute has excellent purpose built facilities on the Genome Campus, Hinxton on the outskirts of Cambridge. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits including a final salary pension scheme and excellent on-site facilities. Further details can be found on our website https://jobs.sanger.ac.uk,

To submit your CV and apply for this job please go to https://jobs.snger.ac.uk, to register and apply on line.

T Cell Therapy – Head of Development

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:06:05 +0100

THE COMPANY
Adaptimmune Limited is a UK biotech company developing a unique T cell therapy approach to treat cancer and infectious disease. It is able to produce enhanced versions of natural T cell receptors (TCRs) directed to any specific disease antigen present on a cancerous or infected cell. By improving the affinity of the TCR, Adaptimmune has found it is possible to increase the ability of T cells containing these TCRs to target diseased cells, where the natural version is ineffective, and without damaging normal cells. Adaptimmune is the only company with the unique technology able to make this breakthrough. Working with leading US academic collaborators in the field, it has already opened one clinical trial evaluating enhanced affinity TCRs to the HIV virus with plans for a series of cancer trials to open in early 2011. Privately owned and securely funded, Adaptimmune has a small internal team working closely with its sister company, Immunocore Limited, from which its technology is licensed. It is based south of Oxford in the UK.

THE ROLE
As Adaptimmune continues to expand its pipeline in to the clinic, it is now seeking a Head of Development to lead and co-ordinate the translation of its research activities into multiple clinical trials, largely through US collaborators. Based in Oxford and working closely with the Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer, you will be responsible for co-ordinating all aspects of preclinical through to clinical development within the company. You will need to be fully conversant with the science behind the programmes as well as the regulatory, logistical and clinical challenges in translating the science to the clinic. You will represent the company at the highest level in working with leading global academic groups, interactions with regulators, contract manufacturers and development suppliers and be able to provide strategic scientific input to the technical challenges of commercialising T cell therapies. You will also be responsible for spotting and implementing relevant grant applications and thinking “outside the box” around the opportunities of the technology.

THE REQUIREMENTS
The role requires a high calibre R&D professional with a relevant scientific and development background for such immune/gene therapy approaches. A self-starter, you should ideally be familiar, on some level, with the translational needs and regulatory processes for cell and gene therapies. You should be comfortable with co-ordinating and leading diverse teams within and external to the organisation and be prepared for the significant overseas (largely US) travel this entails. Working in a commercial or academic environment, you should be at a senior team leader/manager level and have experience of working with physicians and translating scientific, ideally cell/gene therapy approaches, through the regulatory requirements and into the clinical setting. A successful track record in successfully sourcing grant funds would also be an advantage.

THE PACKAGE
A competitive salary is offered in addition to stock options, pension scheme, life insurance and private health insurance.

If you are interested in joining a dynamic, challenging company with unique leading edge science on the brink of broad clinical application, please reply to: The Chief Operating Officer, Adaptimmune Ltd, 57C Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RX, or email recruitment@adaptimmune.com by 30th September 2010. The company web site is www.adaptimmune.com.

Operations Director - Bronx, NY

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:07:24 +0100

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated individual for a non-tenure track faculty position of Operations Director of the newly created shRNA Facility that will make available RNA interference-based technologies to all Einstein investigators. The facility will also serve as a focal point for the centralization and dissemination of expertise and shRNA reagents to the entire Einstein community.

Applicants must possess a Ph.D. and at least three years of postdoctoral training and background in areas related to biomedical research with an emphasis in molecular biology (preferentially in RNAi). Expertise in biological screening procedures including automation and robotics, and in viral-based gene delivery technologies is required. The successful candidate will have the ability to work independently, supervise and manage multiple projects simultaneously, strong organizing capabilities and the interpersonal skills required to interact with the leaders and members of a substantial number of different research programs.

Applicants should provide an application package (as a single PDF file) including: cover letter (describing training, background and accomplishments), curriculum vitae with bibliography, a statement of intention and facility vision and the name and contact information of three references. Packages should be submitted via email by clicking Apply Now below.

The application review process will begin on September 6, 2010. Questions regarding this position may be addressed to amy.myers@einstein.yu.edu.