Senior Research Associate, Cell Culture

About the role

The Senior Research Associate is a key member of the growing Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology team, responsible for executing cell culture development activities in the laboratory and contributing to projects with partner organizations. Reporting to the Senior Process Scientist, this role involves executing cell line development workflows, cell culture development experiments, and supporting contracted activities at Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs). The individual will collaborate closely with internal partners in Quality Assurance, Research, and Regulatory, as well as external partners.

Responsibilities

• Conduct shake flask and bioreactor operations for small-scale development and characterization of cell culture processes for Visterra’s antibody products.
• Perform cell line development activities in line with regulatory guidance to establish Research Cell Banks for GMP Master Cell Bank generation.
• Assist with developing producer cell lines from DNA construct assembly through genetic stability testing.
• Independently prepare DNA vectors using standard molecular biology techniques, including homology-based cloning, transformation, propagation in bacteria, and kit-based purification.
• Develop cell culture platform processes to support in-house material generation for research and pre-clinical studies.
• Operate laboratory cell culture equipment, including bench-scale bioreactors, shake flasks, and multiwell plates.
• Monitor and sample cell culture processes daily, testing for attributes such as cell viability, density, metabolites, pH, and more.
• Contribute to cell culture technology transfer activities, including reviewing and presenting process data, troubleshooting results, and performing scale-up calculations.
• Support GMP manufacturing through review of Batch Records and deviation investigations.
• Serve as a Person-in-Plant representing Visterra at CDMO sites.
• Present work at department and cross-functional meetings, and provide updates on lab activities at drug development team meetings.
• Troubleshoot and maintain laboratory equipment.
• Document experimental results in lab notebooks, tech transfer documents, and technical reports, and present data at meetings.
• Stay current with new technologies to improve process development capabilities.
• Travel up to 10% of the time for site visits at CDMOs and conferences.

Requirements

• B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, or related disciplines with 3 years of relevant industry experience, or M.S. with 1 year of relevant industry experience.
• Experience in maintaining and troubleshooting mammalian cell culture operations.
• Strong understanding of cell culture parameters (e.g., cell growth rate, density, viability, population doubling, metabolites, and cell waste).
• Hands-on experience with aseptic techniques for mammalian cell culture operations.
• Experience with transfection of mammalian cells for transient and/or stable expression of genes of interest.
• Ability to think critically and communicate effectively across a broad spectrum of audiences, both internal and external.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and prioritize work effectively.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time for conferences and global manufacturing sites.
• Due to the nature of cell culture activities, some work outside of standard hours, including weekends, is required.

About the company

Visterra is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing innovative antibody-based therapies for patients with kidney, immune-mediated, and other hard-to-treat diseases. Our proprietary technology platform enables the design and engineering of precision antibody-based product candidates that specifically bind to and modulate key disease targets. We focus on disease targets not adequately addressed by traditional therapeutic approaches, building a robust pipeline of novel therapies for patients with unmet needs.

Visterra’s pipeline includes multiple clinical-stage assets and one approved therapeutic, sibeprenlimab. As part of the Otsuka family of companies, we combine the agility of a small, dynamic organization with the support, stability, and long-term perspective of a 100-year-old global company. Visterra has approximately 105 employees and is located in Waltham, Massachusetts.