Sr. Scientist/ Scientist, Antibody Development & Production

Kernal Biologics•Boston, MA

10h

About The Position

Kernal Bio is a venture-backed therapeutics company engineering cells inside the body using AI-designed, selective mRNA and targeted LNP technology. By developing in vivo CAR-T therapies, Kernal Bio is advancing precision treatments for autoimmune diseases and blood cancers. The company was founded by experts from MIT, Harvard, Merck, and BMS, and its leadership team brings a track record of three FDA-approved therapies and over 120 patents. With support from leading investors, including Hummingbird Ventures, Amgen Ventures, Y Combinator, and HBM. Kernal Bio is transforming the future of cell therapy design and delivery. Job Summary Kernal seeks a highly motivated scientist for antibody development and production. The successful candidate will partner with external collaborators (e.g., CROs, CDMOs) to lead the design, development, and production of novel antibodies for targeted LNP applications. This successful candidate will also be responsible for establishing internal antibody production and analytical capabilities to support preclinical research as well as external development activities.

Requirements

Degree in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry or a similar field .
B.S (or equivalent) with 4-6 years of experience, M.S (or equivalent) with 2-4 years of experience, or PhD with 0-2 years of experience.
Experience with the development and/or production of recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and/or antibody fragments.
Experience in mammalian cell culture and transfection.
Experience with harvest and purification technologies (e.g., normal flow filtration, tangential flow filtration, chromatography, virus filtration).
Experience using Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimize cell culture yields/titers and/or performance of downstream purification.
Familiar with analytical methods commonly used for antibody assays (e.g., SEC, WB, ELISA, SDS-PAGE, etc)
Strong molecular biology skills
Ability to analyze, summarize, and communicate scientific data
Attention to detail, ability to multitask, and troubleshoot
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Excellent record-keeping and data management skills
Experience working in fast-paced startup environments
Ability to work independently while effectively interacting and collaborating in a team environment
Adaptability and enthusiasm for new challenges, innate curiosity, and a passion for learning

Nice To Haves

Experience with difficult-to-produce proteins/protein fragments (e.g., low titer or low solubility) preferred.
Experience with plasmid vector design and codon engineering (nice to have).

Responsibilities

Lead antibody development and production activities at external collaborators (e.g., CROs, CDMOs) for preclinical research activities as well as GMP production.
Responsible for reviewing and approving critical documentation (e.g., protocols, process development batch records, analytical methods, specifications, etc)
Establish internal capabilities for the development, production, and analysis of antibody supplies to accelerate and troubleshoot external development activities and provide materials for preclinical research.
Review, supervise, and/or execute experiments to optimize cell culture, harvest, and downstream purification.
Author tech transfer documentation (e.g., process descriptions, bill of materials, draft specifications, analytical methods) based on both external collaborator activities and internal development activities.
Maintain thorough and detailed electronic laboratory notebooks
Analyze, interpret, and summarize experimental data
Communicate results to team and management in technical reports and oral presentations