The MSAT team needs additional expertise to meet the growing volume of products moving form R&D to commercial manufacture. This group plays a key role in the company because it is positioned between the contract manufacturing part of the company and the discovery R&D teams. With the aim to translate what is developed in the innovative discovery team to GMP manufacture using their leading expertise to seek solutions to make this happen.
Role Purpose:
The purpose of the Process Development Scientist is to focus on the translation of in vitro enzymatic processes for nucleic acids to develop final products. Working as part of a wider team in collaboration with Senior Scientists and the Group Leader. You will be developing manufacturing processes, support industrial scale up, and tech transfer of developed methods. Working from the bench implementing the experimental programmes that you will contribute to the design of and then capturing the data to support the developmental projects.
Responsibilities includes:
- Contribute to the design of experimental programmes and execute these in the laboratories.
- Conduct bioprocessing experiments such as chromatography and tangential flow filtration for example.
- Apply molecular biology techniques such as cloning, PCR, mutagenesis in relation to DNA characterisation.
- Execute the processes for the production and purification of DNA and related material.
- Keep highly detailed laboratory notebooks and records of experiments to write technical reports to a high standard.
Desired Skills and Competencies:
For this opportunity, you will need to have:
- An MSc or BSc or equivalent commercial experience in a relevant Biochemistry, Protein Chemistry, Molecular Biology or relevant Discipline.
- Commercial experience of CMC / Process Development / MSAT within Biotech / Pharma or CDMO environment.
- Demonstrable expertise in the production and purification of DNA or related material at a small lab based scale
- Familiarity with the tools for the characterisation of DNA.
- Familiarity with tangential flow filtration or chromatography
- Molecular biology expertise such as PCR, mutagenesis relating to DNA characterisation
- Experience with enzymatic processes in a commercial setting is advantageous to your application.
A pioneering company who have developed a revolutionary platform technology for the in vitro DNA amplification method for the production of synthetic DNA that can be used in therapeutics, viral vectors, diagnostic, and synthetic biology applications. They are based in state-of-the-art laboratories in Hampton and are a dynamic company who are leaders in the field with great potential going forward that is now being realised as they enter a phase of continued growth.
Title: MRNA Process Development Scientist:
Role CMC2021-003.
Location: Hampton, London, UK
Touchlight has established a DNA manufacturing platform technology operating to GMP in its custom-built laboratories in Hampton, West London. The technology uses an in vitro enzymatic process to generate large amounts of DNA for a range of applications. An exciting role is available for a process development scientist specialising in mRNA production in its expanding process development group. This group has a pivotal role as both a key part of the contract development/manufacturing arm of the organisation as well as a bridge between the discovery and research teams. This role will be part of a team focussed on development of processes in commercial scale manufacture of mRNA using a dbDNA starting material.
Role description:
The successful applicant will play an important role in the process development group with a primary focus on mRNA as a final product. This will involve working in a team focussed on the manufacturing development, optimisation of processes, supporting industrial scale up and technical transfer of methods. This role presents an exciting opportunity, with prospects for career progression as the organisation and function continues to grow. This is a lab-based role where the successful applicant will spend a majority of their time at the laboratory bench conducting experiments and capturing raw data to support development programmes.
This position will be highly collaborative, within the CMC function and also with production and research/discovery teams. In addition, the candidate will be expected to interact with clients, outside collaborators and contractors as required.
Qualifications and experience:
Essential:
- A BSc qualification in Biochemistry / Protein chemistry / Molecular Biology/other relevant discipline.
- 2 years relevant industrial experience of CMC/process development in a pharmaceutical setting ideally a CDMO.
- Experience of production and purification of mRNA.
- Understanding of analytical tools for characterisation of mRNA.
- Familiarity with bioprocessing techniques, such as chromatography, tangential flow filtration and filtration.
- Competent in standard Molecular Biology techniques such as cloning, PCR. mutagenesis and in related specialised DNA characterisation techniques.
- Experience in keeping accurate and thorough records of laboratory experiments as well as experience of writing technical reports to a good standard.
- Applicants must be reliable, enthusiastic, self-motivated and have an ability to learn new techniques quickly.
Desirable:
- Experience in process characterisation, qualification and validation.
- Familiarity with the use of enzymatic processes in an industrial setting.
- Experience with taking a risk-based approach to process development.
All candidates should possess clear communication skills and an ability to work effectively as an individual and within a multidisciplinary team. Successful candidates will also be proficient in organising and managing their work and delivering results to established timelines.
Applicants MUST be eligible to work in the UK.
Apply for this role by emailing a CV and tailored cover letter (in pdf format) to jobs@touchlightgenetics.com clearly stating the reference " CMC2021-003".
Closing date for applications is 14th April 2021.
Due to the high number of applicants we will likely only contact those who we invite to interview.