Scientist - II

Artech is the 10th Largest IT Staffing Company in the US, according to Staffing Industry Analysts' 2012 annual report. Artech provides technical expertise to fill gaps in clients' immediate skill-sets availability, deliver emerging technology skill-sets, refresh existing skill base, allow for flexibility in project planning and execution phases, and provide budgeting/financial flexibility by offering contingent labor as a variable cost.

The candidate will contribute to the production and functional assessment of chimeric antigen receptor T cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies. She/he will work to optimize multiple nucleic-acid delivery platforms for both primary and established T cell lines for the purpose of generating stable transfectants. The scientist will subsequently characterize the short- and long-term functionality of the product(s) via an array of cell-based platforms.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• The candidate will work to engineer multiple stably-transfected T cell lines using both mRNA- and pDNA-based delivery platforms. This effort will encompass extensive cell culture methodologies, as well as the ability to perform downstream analyses necessary to validate delivery of the transgene(s).
• A diverse background in mammalian cell culture is absolutely essential.
• Experience with primary T cells is preferred. The successful applicant should demonstrate extensive knowledge surrounding cell culture techniques, gene delivery platforms (i.e., transfection/transduction), and downstream functional validation of resultant cells.
• Experience with mammalian cell-based electroporation platforms (i.e., Amaxa, Max Cyte, BTX, etc.) is required. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in flow cytometry, gene editing (i.e., CRISPR, transposase, etc.), multiplex ELISA, and viral-delivery techniques (i.e., AAV, lentivirus).
• The successful candidate will work independently, but cooperatively, within the larger group. The ability to generate and maintain experimental data in an electronic laboratory notebook in a highly organized manner is essential.

Education:

• M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, Cell biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or a related field with 2+ years industry experience.