Associate Scientist, Antibody Characterization
- Scholar Rock Inc.
- Full time
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Posted: July 8, 2021
Company
Scholar Rock is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company creating a robust pipeline of therapeutics with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from serious diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, cancer, and fibrosis. Our proprietary platform is rooted in our structural biology insights into the activation of latent growth factor precursors and drives the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. By exploiting structural differences in the precursor, or latent forms of growth factors, Scholar Rock intends to avoid the historical dose-limiting safety challenges associated with inhibiting the mature form of growth factors for therapeutic effect.
Our first investigational product candidate, apitegromab (SRK-015), is a selective inhibitor of the activation of latent myostatin. We announced positive 12-month top-line data from the TOPAZ trial in April 2021, demonstrating that apitegromab has the potential to improve motor function in patients with Type 2 and Type 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). We anticipate initiating a Phase 3 registrational trial by the end of 2021 and are moving steadfast towards our aim of bringing this potential first muscle-directed therapy to patients with SMA
Our second investigational product candidate, SRK-181, is a selective inhibitor of latent TGFβ1 activation being developed to overcome primary resistance to checkpoint inhibitor therapies (CPIs), such as anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Although CPIs have transformed the cancer treatment landscape, only approximately 20% of patients respond to treatment. We believe SRK-181 has the potential to meaningfully increase the number of patients who can benefit from CPIs. We are evaluating SRK-181 in the ongoing DRAGON Phase 1 proof-of-concept trial (NCT04291079) evaluating patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. We anticipate initial clinical response and safety data from Part A (dose escalation) portion of the trial by the end of 2021.
We continue to progress our scientific platform and preclinical programs as we apply our structural insights and protein science and antibody expertise to discover antibodies with differentiated therapeutic profiles and develop high-impact medicines for patients suffering from serious diseases.
Summary of Position:
The Antibody Discovery & Engineering group at Scholar Rock is developing best-in-class antibody therapeutics to help patients with unmet medical needs. We are seeking an outstanding individual to support the discovery and characterization of antibodies to enable the lead selection for multiple therapeutic programs. The successful candidate will work with the phage display and hybridoma teams to establish and execute biophysical and bioanalytical assays for comprehensive characterization of antibodies. The person in this role will have the opportunity to learn various aspects of biotherapeutic drug development in a fast-paced matrixed environment.
Position Responsibilities
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- Characterize the binding properties of antibodies by ELISA, flow cytometry, and kinetics tools
- Perform stability and pre-formulation studies on antibodies to assess their “drug-like” qualities
- Maintain detailed records of experimental protocols and data in laboratory notebooks in accordance with company policy
- Work with functional group and project teams to manage and prioritize antibody characterization experiments
- Analyze, interpret, and report experimental results to the relevant functional and project teams
Candidate Requirements
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- BS or MS in molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, or related field with 1-3 years of laboratory experience.
- Hands-on experience in antibody screening required
- Experience with flow cytometry, ELISA, SPR (Biacore), or BLI (Octet) preferred
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to function in a timeline-driven, dynamic environment, and to adapt to new techniques and protocols
- Flexibility to work in a matrix-managed research organization
- Strong work ethics and high-level of motivation are required
Scholar Rock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.