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Opportunity: Associate Scientist, Postdoctoral Fellow -- Viral Vaccine Systems Biotechnology @ Merck -- West Point, PA (US)
Submitted by Joshua Nelson; posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014
BACKGROUND
Merck is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and consumer health products, as well as animal health products. Today, we are building a new kind of healthcare company - one that is ready to help create a healthier future for all of us.
Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of people like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. As part of our global team, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.
Be a part of the legacy: MRL Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program
The Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program aims to be a best-in-industry program for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide you with an academic focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, postdoctoral researchers will be positioned to excel in an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery.
RESPONSIBILITIES
This Post-doctoral research fellow will be responsible for developing a systems biotechnology methodology to viral vaccine process development. The postdoctoral fellow will utilize currently available systems biology tools (transcriptomics, metabolomics) to characterize the current viral vaccine manufacturing process and put the data in context of genome scale metabolic or signaling models to generate hypothesis on how to perturb the process to improve quantity and quality of virus produced. Approaches to perturb the manufacturing process could include modifications to culture media or use of RNA interference among other possibilities. The initial focus will be on alleviating metabolic limitations, innate anti-viral and apoptotic responses that limit level of infectious virus production for live virus vaccines produced in adherent human cell lines. This will require strong collaboration with scientists/engineers from vaccine bioprocess R&D, informatics and analysis, and high throughput screening groups to leverage existing information on the virus-cell system.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Generate transcriptional and metabolomic datasets to characterize responses to virus infection of human cells under process conditions.
- Lead and drive bioinformatics analysis and interpret data in the context of known biological pathways (KEGG/BioCyC) to identify targets. Utilize genome scale metabolic models with appropriate metabolic flux measurements to identify metabolic bottlenecks.
- Validate published targets from literature and develop screening assay for RNAi/drug compound screening.
- Test leads generated using prior transcriptome/metabolome analysis in terms of media formulation at lab scale.
- Conduct RNAi or drug/compound library screening, complete pathway analysis of data and validate identified targets.
- Combine leads from media redesign and RNAi screening and implement in a regulatory agency friendly format at manufacturing scale.
REQUIREMENTS
Education Requirement:
- PhD in Chemical/ Biochemical Engineering expected by May 2014
Required Experience and Skills:
- Strong experimental background in mammalian cell culture with expertise in cell biology or biochemistry.
- Hands-on experience and expertise in the application of bioinformatics tools for analyzing high-dimensional data sets (specifically transcriptional and metabolic) associated with systems biology approaches using public domain and commercial computational tools
- Hands-on experience in generating and working with transcriptomic and metabolomics data and interpreting such data in the context of metabolic/signaling pathways.
- Expertise in approaches to measure metabolic fluxes and analyze using genome-scale models.
PREFERENCES
Preferred Experience and Skills:
- Strong history of publication in peer-reviewed journals
- Hands-on virology experience working with live viruses in cell culture
- Demonstrated track record in the areas of systems biology as applied to industrially relevant problems in manufacture of biologics/vaccines as evidenced by publication in high impact journals.
COMPENSATION
Our employees are the key to our company's success. We demonstrate our commitment to our employees by offering a competitive and valuable rewards program. Merck's benefits are designed to support the wide range of goals, needs and lifestyles of our employees, and many of the people that matter the most in their lives.
POLICY
Merck is an equal opportunity employer, M/F/D/V - proudly embracing diversity in all of its manifestations. Former Military, Transitioning Service Members, National Guard & Reserves - We value your past and present service.
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