Contract Scientist, Biophysical Chemistry

About the role

The Contract Scientist, Biophysical Chemistry will perform biophysical characterization of proteins, bioconjugates, and protein/protein interactions within the Large Molecule Discovery - Biophysical Chemistry group. This role involves frequent interaction with Biophysical Chemistry, Antibody Discovery, and Bioconjugation team leaders and other scientists in a dynamic, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Work with discovery, bioconjugation, and protein engineering teams to support the design and execution of experiments for screening and characterizing biologicals, including antibodies, ADCs, and other modalities for oncological indications.
• Apply various analytical and biophysical techniques to provide comprehensive characterization of hits, leads, and candidate molecules at various stages of discovery/development.
• Use surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) to characterize the kinetics and affinity of antibody/antigen interactions, epitope bins of antibodies, and blocking of receptor-ligand interactions by antibodies.
• Support characterization of protein stability, purity, and quality using techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF), differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ion exchange chromatography (IEX), CE-SDS, and SDS-PAGE.
• Perform ELISA assays to support antibody discovery efforts.
• Collaborate with other teams across the company to provide biophysical solutions; analyze, collate, and disseminate data to deliver results in a timely manner consistent with project timelines.
• Clearly document experiments and results in electronic lab notebook entries.
• Participate in periodic updates and team meetings, contributing data and insights that help inform research decisions.

Requirements

• BS or MS with 1+ years of relevant work experience (industry, academic, or research setting).
• Foundational understanding of the drug development process for biologics, with exposure to therapeutic antibodies and/or related modalities such as antibody conjugates, bispecifics, or multispecifics (e.g., through coursework, thesis research, or prior work experience).
• Familiarity with biophysical techniques used to characterize the stability, purity, and quality of biologics, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC), differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), ion exchange chromatography (IEX), CE-SDS, and SDS-PAGE. Hands-on experience with one or more of these techniques preferred.
• Exposure to techniques for characterizing biomolecular interactions (e.g., SPR, BLI, or ELISA), with the ability to learn and apply other relevant technologies for characterization of high/low affinities, active concentrations, cross-blocking, heterogeneities, and other product-defining characteristics.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong analytical, documentation, and multi-tasking skills.

Skills

• Experience with Biacore, Octet, and/or Maurice platforms.
• Additional biophysical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), multi-angle light scattering (MALS), or capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF).
• Characterizing epitope binning, cross-blocking, or receptor-ligand blocking interactions using SPR/BLI.
• Laboratory automation for liquid handling and screening.
• Spectroscopic techniques for characterization of biomolecules (e.g., UV/fluorescence).
• Data science and visualization software such as R, Spotfire, etc.
• Can-do attitude to take on challenging projects and meet project timelines.
• Excellent communication skills and strong organizational abilities.

Pay

~$35-40/hr based on experience.