Postbac Fellow Upstream Process Development
Postbac Fellow - Upstream Process Development
About the position
The Vaccine Production Program (VPP) is a science-driven organization that exists as a unique bridge between government and the biopharmaceutical industry. Research at the VPP combines the rigor of academic research with cutting-edge development. Specialized teams of scientists and engineers work in close collaboration with each other, other labs and programs within the VRC and the NIH, as well as with academic and industry partners. Through our collaborative environment, the postbaccalaureate fellow will advance their academic careers while gaining valuable experience in industrial process development.
Research in Upstream Process Development centers on the identification and optimization of process parameters to support and control the growth of a mammalian or microbial cell line in a production bioreactor. The resulting process must ensure a robust and scalable method to deliver high-yielding expression of the recombinant vaccine or other protein of interest. Development begins with automated microbioreactors (15 to 250 mL) and progressively increases from 3 L bench-scale bioreactors up to a pilot scale of 50 L. The finalized processes are then transferred externally to enable larger scale manufacturing of clinical material under cGMP regulations.
We are seeking a motivated postbaccalaureate candidate to establish novel control strategies and explore the impact of alternate feeding strategies on protein production. A successful candidate will have a keen interest in multidisciplinary work that challenges and expands their scientific abilities. The candidate will learn and apply experimental and computational techniques to answer their research questions.
Applicants with related experience are encouraged to apply even if they do not have prior experience in mammalian cell culture, metabolism, or computational biology. Our interdisciplinary program is designed to provide experiences that foster the development of skills necessary to conduct independent research and to cross-train fellows in related disciplines such as cell culture development, bioreactor operation, metabolomics, computational biology, and statistics.
Apply for this vacancy
Candidates should submit their resume and a brief statement of research interests/career goals to Sean Mack at sean.mack@nih.gov
To apply to the NIH Postbaccalaureate program, visit https://www.training.nih.gov/research-training/pb/pb/
The review of applications will continue until the position is filled.
Qualifications
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident able to pass federal background check
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in biological engineering, chemical engineering, computational biology, or a related field.
- Experience with the mammalian cell culture and bioreactor modeling a plus
- Basic understanding of statistical analysis
- Ability to work independently and on a team
- Effective oral and written communication