Scientist Protein Sciences

Job description

About Meridian:
Meridian Life Science, a segment of Meridian Bioscience, is a first-choice solution provider of innovative immunological and molecular raw materials that accelerate discovery and diagnostic assay development. We are looking for talented and passionate individuals that help drive our vision. Our innovative culture will allow interested candidates to discover and create, through collaboration, novel solutions to tough problems.

Job Summary:
The Scientist, Protein Science position will provide hands-on technical support within our Technical Operations and Development department. This position is responsible for the development of new products and processes, optimization and improvement of existing products and processes, and manufacturing of custom products. The role will support the improvement and growth of our immunological reagent offerings including recombinant proteins, native/viral antigens, monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies, blockers, and contract manufacturing. The candidate will be responsible for conducting activities related to vector development, fermentation, protein expression, protein purification, protein characterization, and assay development. Candidate will be responsible for developing and managing our heterologous expression workflow in various expression systems. The position will be required to work independently at the bench as well as effectively collaborate through communication of scientific findings to internal and external groups.

Key Duties:
Responsibilities Include:

Collaborate within multidisciplinary development and operational teams to develop new products, improve and optimize existing products, and manufacture custom products in support of our immunological reagent offerings.

Design, clone, and optimize constructs that will be used to express proteins in Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pichia pastoris for commercial manufacturing.

Optimize and scale-up protein expression through construct design, understanding fermentation parameters, and media optimization.

Characterize microbial cell lines and microbial cell banking including growth, expression, and stability.

Develop assays that characterize protein expression and protein quality early in the production workflow.

Develop and perform protein purification processes for recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and polyclonal antibodies. Unit operations include, but are not limited to, preparative centrifugation, depth filtration, tangential flow filtration, chromatographic methods (ion exchange, size exclusion, affinity, etc.).

Develop and perform various bio-analytical methods for process monitoring and product characterization. The methods include, but are not limited to, SDS-PAGE, Western Blot, ELISA, spectroscopic methods, HPLC methods.

Document and manage experimental methods and results within laboratory notebook. Prepare routine technical progress reports to be shared at internal and external meetings.

Help identify new technologies to increase discovery, development, and/or process efficiency.

Lead technical transfer of developed procedures to production and/or quality personnel. Includes development of batch records, design of transfer plan, and execution of transfer plan including boots on the ground training.

Author batch records and SOPs for transferred/developed processes in compliance with current ISO13485 regulations and company SOPs.

Perform routine laboratory maintenance and management including ordering of materials, cleaning and maintenance of laboratory equipment, etc.

Qualifications:
Extensive hands on experience with cloning, protein expression, and fermentation in microbial systems required. Specific experience with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris

Demonstrated ability to purify and characterize proteins through projects or publication record. A knowledge of AKTA FPLC systems and Unicorn software preferred.

Working knowledge of bioprocessing including process scale up preferred.

Demonstrated ability to design, document, and execute experiments. Must be able to accurately analyse and interpret generated results.

Work effectively in collaborative environment, communicate scientific findings freely, and instruct/ train personnel as required.

Open to learn and develop new techniques to support the development and improvement of immunological IVD reagents.

Well-organized, able to manage multiple projects, calm under pressure.

Proficient in technical writing, concise and accurate oral and written reporting of technical data.

Education and Experience:

A Bachelors, Masters, or Ph.D. from an accredited institution in a relevant scientific discipline such as Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein Chemistry, etc. is required.

Required is 10+ years of relevant research or industrial experience with a bachelors, 8+ years with a Masters, or 0-2+ years with a Ph.D.

A proven scientific track record with research related to protein structure, protein function, or protein manufacturing required.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.