Senior/Research Engineer (hiPSC & (CAR-)T cell culture and microcarrier fabrication)

Project Overview

SMART CAMP (Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine) is an interdisciplinary research programme in Singapore (CREATE international research campus and innovation hub) and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SMART CAMP addresses key technology bottlenecks in cell therapy manufacturing: (i) critical quality attributes (CQA) of safe, effective cell therapy products; and (ii) integrated process analytics to monitor and modulate those attributes. Our efforts are focused on expansion of cGMP grade hiPSCs and differentation to progenitor cells for cell therapy products.

This project addresses key technology bottlenecks in cell therapy manufacturing: 1. Critical quality attributes (CQA) of safe, effective cell therapy products. 2. Integrated process analytics to monitor and modulate those attributes. Our efforts are focused on expansion of cGMP-grade hiPSCs, differentiation to progenitor cells, and CAR-T cell culture for cell therapy products.

This particular project is funded under SMART Innovation Grant which investigates and translate the use of biomaterials to enhance cell therapy products such as iPSC and/or CAR T cells

Job Description

The successful candidate will support interdisciplinary projects focused on translating candidate safety Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) to improve the safety of cell therapy products. He/She will work under the supervision of postdoctoral associates in SMART CAMP, with mentorship by principal investigators in Singapore and MIT. The successful candidate’s primary activities include but are not limited to:

1. Routine hiPSC and/or T cell culture maintenance and expansion.

2. Running molecular-based assays according to SMART CAMP's established protocols.

3. Assisting in biomaterial fabrication and optimization for cell therapy applications.

4. General housekeeping, maintenance of lab inventory, consumables, SOPs, and risk assessments.

5. Assisting in process optimization, including Design of Experiments (DOE) where relevant.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree, or Diploma in a biology-related discipline with minimum 2 year working experience.
• Experience in mammalian cell culture is essential.
• Experience in molecular and cellular biology is essential (e.g., qPCR, immunofluorescence staining and basic microscopy, FACs).
• Experience in cell manufacturing or using Design of Experiments (DOE) software is an advantage.
• Motivated to learn and achieve high consistency and reproducibility in experimental output.
• Detail-oriented with good organizational and commmunication skills as well as record keeping and time management.

To apply, please visit our website at: https://portal.smart.mit.edu/careers/career-opportunities

Interested applicants are invited to send in their full CV/resume, cover letter and list of three references (to include reference names and contact information). We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.