Senior Scientist Preclinical microbiology

POSITION: Senior Scientist, Discovery (Preclinical microbiology)
2-year fixed term contract – Full-time – on-site
REPORTS TO: Team Leader, Discovery
JOB PURPOSE: Functional characterization of Obulytix’s novel lysin products

 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Development, optimization and validation of antimicrobial assays, including high throughput/automation amenable methods
• Functional characterization of lysins in microbial growth curves and other cell killing format assays (growth curve inhibition based on OD or metabolic activity, time-kill assays, MIC assays)
• Mechanism of action experiments and investigation of drug resistance studies (single agent/dual agent experiments, hollow fibre infection model (HFIM), ...)
• Design and oversee in vivo experiments by third parties, e.g., bacteremia, urinary tract infections, lung- or wound infections, biodistribution and pharmacokinetics studies
• Develop, write and validate SOPs for lysin functional assessment
• Ensuring continuous quality assurance through proper strain management and identification including whole genome sequencing
• Contribution to cross-functional project teams, preparing and presenting work and project updates
• Contribute new ideas and opinions to scientific discussions to enhance process and new technologies development
• Work closely with the line manager and other members of the Discovery Team, as needed, to deliver solutions or improvements in preclinical technology development, including—but not limited to—the development and implementation of antimicrobial assays
• Work independently to design carry out and interpret experiments, keeping up to date with relevant literature and techniques
• From time to time undertake other Discovery activities as required by your line manager

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Education and Experience
  • PhD in a relevant biological discipline or BSc/MSc with significant (>3y) relevant industrial experience
  • Laboratory experience in an industrial setting required
  • Expertise in the design of experiments, interpretation of data and trouble shooting essential
  • Understanding of antimicrobial therapeutics, specifically biologics, and their discovery and development
• Skills and Knowledge
  • Working knowledge of a broad range of microbial procedures
  • Experience in executing regulatory compliant assays, including MIC assays
  • Experience in developing, optimizing and troubleshooting antimicrobial activity assays
  • Experience with growth curve quantification devices (Omnilog, LogPhase600, MSE Pro, Bioscreen or similar) and colony counting devices (PhenoBooth+, ColonyDoc-It, AutoCol or similar) is a plus
  • Experience with mechanism of action and resistance development studies
  • Knowledge and experience in translation from in vitro to in vivo antimicrobial activity testing (Galleria mellonella insect models, mouse infection models)
  • Knowledge and experience of molecular biology and protein engineering would be an advantage
  • Knowledge and experience in automation, including system handling and scripting, would be an advantage
• Competences
  • Demonstrated ability to independently design experiments, interpret data and troubleshoot any issues arising
  • Highly organized, able to prioritize work, work well under pressure and to tight deadlines
  • A team player with a flexible and collaborative working ethos towards colleagues and teams within the company, as well as with external advisors, service providers and collaborators
  • Ability to initiate, coordinate and oversee outsourced activities
  • Excellent abilities in record keeping and maintenance of clearly written laboratory notebooks to a standards required for publications and patent filings
  • Excellent written and verbal communications skills and ability to clearly present complex data in English
  • Enthusiastic, self-motivated and proactive attitude towards biologics development

To APPLY, please submit your CV and a motivation letter to careers@obulytix.com. You may also include references or supporting materials, at your discretion.