Job Application for Senior Scientist, Antibody Discovery & Characterization at Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Scientist to lead efforts in antibody discovery and developability characterization. This individual will play a critical role in advancing our antibody discovery, production, and characterization platform by applying state-of-the-art biophysical and functional assays to assess antibody properties. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in antibody engineering, developability assessments, and lead selection strategies.

Key Responsibilities

Lead method development and execution of antibody production and characterization workflows to support platform programs.
Design, develop, and execute biophysical and functional assays to evaluate antibody binding, stability, and activity across a range of assays, for various antibody formats (IgGs, Vhh, minibinders, Fabs, bi- and multi-specifics, etc).
Conduct in-depth developability assessments including binding kinetics, thermal/colloidal stability, polyreactivity, aggregation propensity, etc.
Support the onboarding of any relevant assays to automated high-throughput platforms.
Provide technical leadership in antibody engineering, affinity maturation, and optimization strategies.
Mentor junior scientists and contribute to scientific strategy and innovation.
Author technical reports, SOPs, and present findings to internal leadership and external customers

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Immunology, Bioengineering, or a related field with 2+ years of industry experience in antibody discovery and characterization (or M.S. with 6+ years of industry experience).
Expertise in antibody engineering, production (transfection and purification), and developability characterization using biophysical and biological techniques.
Extensive hands-on expertise with SPR and BLI for quantitative antibody-antigen interaction analysis
Demonstrated proficiency in antibody developability assessment using multiple biophysical techniques (DSF, DLS, SEC, HIC, AC-SINS, Polyreactivity, etc.)
Proven ability to lead projects and mentor junior scientists in an industry setting.
Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Industry experience in therapeutic antibody discovery and development.
Experience in discovery, production and characterization of bi- and multi-specifics
Familiarity with automation and high-throughput screening techniques.
Knowledge of antibody display platform is desirable

To learn more about Ginkgo, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com/press/ or check out some curated press below:

We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.

We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees, employment applicants, and EOE disability/vet.

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Senior Scientist, Antibody Discovery & Characterization

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