(Senior) Scientist – CAR-T In vitro Specialist

Selvita is a global integrated drug discovery partner for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with offices in Cambridge, UK, Greater Boston Area, San Francisco Bay Area, as well as, Krakow and Poznan, Poland. The company offers drug discovery support at every stage of the early discovery phase up to the preclinical research phase. 

Continuous recruitment – that’s about Selvita! We are focused on constant team growth and we hire new employees on an ongoing basis. The team growth rate correlates with the growth of the project portfolio we perform for our clients. We are a stable employer with a clear perspective for the future.

Due to constant development, currently, we are looking for enthusiastic and highly motivated Scientists and Senior Scientists with demonstrated expertise in biochemical and cell-based assay development, miniaturization, and screening to join and help to build our Core Assay Development & Screening Unit within Cell and Molecular Biology Department and support Selvita’s drug discovery projects.

At Selvita, we work knowing that the research we do, makes an impact on human lives. 

The ideal candidate will be responsible for projects involving the construction, expression, and validation of CAR receptors and CAR-T cells.

CAR-T therapy is an innovative personalized cancer treatment, currently approved for use in humans to treat hematological malignancies. It belongs to the group of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Due to the personalized nature of this therapy and the complexity of manufacturing, CAR-T treatment is associated with long waiting times and high costs.

Selvita`s Cell and Molecular Biology Department is looking for a specialist experienced in molecular and cell biology as well as genetic engineering of CAR-T cells.

• Good knowledge of cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, immuno-oncology
• Experience in genetic engineering of CAR and synergistic agents to enhance the CAR-T cells efficacy in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models (design and generation of lentiviral constructs etc.)
• Generation of in-house universal CAR-T cells.
• In vitro characterization of universal CAR-T cells: binding to antigen-specific cells, efficacy of response to antigen-bearing target cells, cytokine production profiles for efficacy and safety, and, surface marker profiles to assess the final differentiation profile, determination of cell-cell interactions.
• Knowledge of molecular and cell biology techniques such as the culture of cancer cell lines as well as T cells and PBMC, flow cytometry, qPCR, cytotoxicity and proliferation assays, HTRF/FRET/AlphaLISA/ELISA and similar techniques for the determination of cytokine level, reporter-gene assays, Lumicks (z-Movi, avidity), xCELLigence and similar technologies.
• In vivo model experiments to determine CAR-T cells functionality/potency using humanized mouse models (mice reconstituted with a human immune system).

• MSc in pharmacology, molecular biology, biotechnology, or similar discipline with minimum 2 years of experience in a biotech/pharma setting or Ph.D. in relevant biological sciences.
• Good knowledge of in vitro pharmacology concepts with a strong focus on at least one of the following areas: intracellular signaling, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, immune-oncology, and genetic engineering.
• Experience in working with cell lines and cell-based assays in microplate format.
• Prior experience with mid-to-high throughput screening, liquid handling devices, and lab automation will be a plus.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with proven troubleshooting experience.
• Well-developed multi-tasking, flexibility, and team working skills.
• Scientific presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Fluency in English.

• Extensive research facilities and modern laboratories.
• Daily cooperation and know-how exchange with an experienced research team.
• Long-term cooperation is based on stable employment conditions and a clear career path.
• Support of experienced mentors with international scientific experience.
• Benefits: private medical care, on-site fitness zone & subsidized sports card, lunch benefits & fruits in the office, on-site, subsidized kindergarten.
• Support in legalization and relocation from abroad.
• Language courses (English & Polish).
• Complex training programs.
• Support & incentive bonus for completing Ph.D.
• Various sports initiatives.