Post-Doctoral Scientist – Mechanistic Modeling & Simulation(SMDD)

Responsibilities

• Traditionally, oligonucleotide therapeutics such as siRNA, ASO, and sgRNA rely on linear solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis (SPOS), which is subject to yield, purity, and purification burden challenges as the sequence length increases.
• In contrast, a promising alternative is a convergent route where shorter oligonucleotide fragments are prepared via SPOS and joined together enzymatically. This enzymatic ligation (EL) approach has demonstrated superior yield, purity, and control of critical impurities as well as reduced environmental impact compared to SPOS.
• The enzymatic ligation (EL) approach has generated significant interest from the pharmaceutical industry, exemplified by numerous patents, publications, and conference presentations.
• This postdoctoral position offers the opportunity to build a predictive mechanistic model of enzymatic ligation kinetics, generate process understanding that has previously been limited to qualitative trends, and accelerate EL process development.
• The project will leverage high-throughput experimentation capabilities at the Lilly Seaport Innovation Center in Boston to parameterize thermodynamic and kinetic models of oligonucleotide assembly and ligation.
• The project provides the chance to collaborate not just within SMDD, but also discovery and development teams on multiple genetic medicine modalities across Boston and Indianapolis sites.

Requirements

• PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, or a related field with experience in modeling and simulation
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis

Qualifications

• Experience with biocatalytic reaction systems and their kinetic modeling
• Proficiency in programming and modeling and simulation tools (e.g. MATLAB, Python)
• Familiarity with nucleic acid structure/thermodynamics prediction tools
• Experience with lab automation and high-throughput experimentation
• Interpersonal and collaborative skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple activities and handle ambiguity
• Ability to influence others to promote a positive work environment
• Understanding and awareness of the external scientific and regulatory landscape
• Demonstrated technical proficiency and ability to create ideas for future work plans
• Established external publication record