Scientist, Antibody Engineering- Hybridoma
- Scholar Rock Inc.
- Full time
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Posted: August 28, 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:
Scholar Rock is seeking an experienced Scientist to join the Antibody Engineering group to help lead antibody discovery campaigns. The candidate will be responsible for the development of antibodies for therapeutic use by implementing rodent immunizations and working with hybridoma technologies. Additionally, the candidate will be an active participant in evaluating technologies that shape the direction of Scholar Rock’s antibody discovery platforms.
Responsibilities
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- Immunize rodents and evaluate the immune response using various assays
- Generate hybridomas and clone antibody variable regions
- Characterize antibodies for biochemical, biophysical and biological (in vitro biochemical or cell based assays) properties
- Contribute to design, management and execution of antibody discovery campaigns to support the company’s biologics drug discovery pipeline
- Maintenance of laboratory records, protocols and summaries
- Organize and present data at team or company meetings
- Effectively manage multiple project work-streams
- Contribution to laboratory organization and maintenance
- Excellent communication and organization skills
Requirements
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- MS or PhD with 3+ years of industrial/academic drug discovery experience in antibody discovery, protein expression, purification and characterization
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· Must have experience handling and dosing rodents
· Prior tissue culture experience is a must. Preference for candidates with expertise generating hybridomas
· Molecular biology skills (antibody variable gene cloning is plus)
· Antibody characterization experience using different analytical techniques (Western blot, ELISA, analysis, flow cytometry) is a plus
· Proven ability to work independently and design experiments, troubleshoot, interpret and report data
· Highly analytical mind, attention to detail, and organization skills are critical
· Collaborative and proactive attitude with excellent written and oral communication skills
Scholar Rock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.