Company description
Drishti Discoveries LTD is a pre-clinical biotech company using a patented gene modulation technology to develop in-vivo gene therapy. Drishti was founded in 2020 following funding from Start Codon a Cambridge (UK) based accelerator programme. Our lead programme is an AAV-based gene therapy targeted at patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.
This is a one year position to join our nascent team where you will be based in Dundee and have the opportunity to shape the direction of the company by applying your scientific and technical expertise.
We are able to offer a competitive salary and pension contributions during this fixed-term appointment. Should the company successfully raise additional funding, a permanent position may become available with additional company benefits.
Job description
The Senior Scientist will be responsible for the design and execution of in-vitro assay development to support lead candidate optimisation and characterization
Required education & experience
• PhD degree in relevant field (e.g. Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, gene therapy)
• 2-5 years of experience in an industrial or academic research setting.
• Strong molecular biology skills and a good understanding of genetics and gene regulation
• Strong mammalian cell culture experience including primary cell culture
• Skilled in experimental design and troubleshooting
• Good organisational ability to plan and prioritise work
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative and presentation skills.
Desirable experience
• Practical knowledge and experience in iPSC handling, programming, and gene editing
• in vivo assessment of drug efficacy • Viral vector (AAV, lentivirus) engineering/production/use
Reporting lines
• Function reports to CSO
Main areas of responsibility
• Characterisation of cell lines and primary cells (protein and gene expression), including cell line and primary cell culture
• Development of robust functional and viability assays for screening therapeutics and for understanding mechanism of action
• Utilizing relevant techniques such as RT-qPCR, luminometer, Elisa, Western blotting, transient expression, transduction, protein / AAV purification,
• Documentation of work in plans and reports
Contact
Dr Sapan Gandhi
Sapan.gandhi@drishtidiscoveries.com