Full-Time Template Job

Voyager Therapeutics•Lexington, MA

6h•$120,000 - $157,500

About The Position

Voyager Therapeutics is seeking a dedicated Scientist II, Protein Science to join our growing Non-Viral Therapeutics Team. This role will be responsible for the design, construction, and expression of fusion proteins and bispecific antibodies, to support the discovery and development of novel biotherapeutics. This role requires deep technical expertise in molecular biology and cell-based expression, as well as the ability to independently design complex molecules, troubleshoot cloning or expression problems, and guide experimental strategy across projects. The ideal candidate should have experience utilizing structural information to inform construct design. This role will require coordination and collaboration within our Protein Science and Bioconjugation group to generate complex biotherapeutic candidates, and close interaction with our Antibody Discovery and Engineering team for seamless delivery of robust high-quality material for antibody campaigns and candidate validation.

Requirements

PhD or MS in biochemistry, protein or cell engineering or related field, with 2+ years or 9+ years respectively, of relevant industry experience
Proficiency using vector design tools and sequence analysis software for molecular biology; familiarity with high throughput cloning methods is desirable
Experience with multiple mammalian cell line hosts
Track record of success in designing functional stable, soluble fusion proteins
Ability to design and execute experiments and trouble-shoot challenges independently
Self-motivated with an ability to multitask different activities, e.g., cloning and expression
Experience with designing bispecific antibodies is preferable, i.e. familiarity with Fab, scFv, VHH, alternate linkers, heavy chain and light chain pairing solutions
Familiarity with protein purification methods (e.g., affinity tags such as His, Fc)
Outstanding analytical, research, and organizational skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Attention to detail is a must-have
Technical experience with basic chromatographic separation techniques (affinity, ion-exchange, size exclusion) to isolate homogenous monodispersed protein is a plus

Responsibilities

Establish and optimize mammalian cell culture expression systems for recombinant fusion protein and antibody expression
Cell engineering, including stable cell line creation using various host cell lines
Lead the construction and design of complex DNA constructs for recombinant protein expression using standard and advanced molecular cloning strategies (restriction cloning, Gibson assembly, Golden Gate, site-directed mutagenesis)
Drive the optimization of cloning strategies to improve protein expression, solubility, and yields
Utilize various bioinformatic tools for expression construct design (e.g., codon optimization and stable domain boundary determination)
Design expression constructs incorporating various purification tagging strategies and complex multi-chain antibody formats that require chain pairing solutions
Perform PCR, restriction digestion, ligation, plasmid preparation, bacterial cell transformation, clone selection by colony PCR and DNA sequencing, and endotoxin-free DNA scale-up
Manage electronic plasmid and construct inventory, and cloning and expression queues
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Protein Science & Bioconjugation, Neuroscience, and Bioinformatics) to design, troubleshoot, and scale molecule production for anticipated studies in a time-sensitive manner
Maintain accurate and up-to-date experimental records in electronic lab notebook