Peptone

About the role

You will be responsible for providing critical biochemical and cell assay expertise within the neuroscience research area to deliver multiple biologics drug discovery and technology development projects using state of the art technologies. This is a lab-based role involving independent design, execution and interpretation of scientific experiments, and effective communication of findings and recommendations as part of a multi-disciplinary project team. The successful candidate will also contribute to the identification and development of cutting-edge technologies that benefit biologics drug discovery and have a proven track record of creatively solving scientific challenges. Your work provides crucial data about protein activity in cellular assays. You develop and implement these assays by using a diverse set of formats and readouts, ranging from low- to high-throughput. You work in a highly collaborative, team-oriented and fast-paced startup environment with a strong commitment to deliver and in ways that cut across traditional industry boundaries.

What you’ll do

  • Independent development of biochemical and cell based 96- or 384-well functional assays for screening and pharmacologically characterizing biologics for drug discovery or technology development projects.
  • Hands-on work in the cell culture lab combined with handling of pipetting robots and high-end analytical instruments like plate reader, FACS and imaging systems.
  • Designing, planning and performing cell-culture experiments and assays in the context of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases, as well as oncology disease models.
  • Ensuring own work is compliant with General Laboratory Standard, Safety, Health and Environment standards and all other relevant internal Peptone standards and external regulations.
  • You deliver work on time and within allocated budgets.
  • Statistical data analysis and interpretation of analysis results.
  • Preparation of SOPs, reports and presentations.
  • Presentation and discussion of data in team meetings with associated subject matter experts.
  • Transfer of methods to CROs and management of these collaborations to ensure scientific quality and respecting timelines.
  • Maintenance of high-end laboratory devices and instruments.
  • Comply to industry standards of good research practice principles, including relevant documentation procedures.
  • Active contribution of expertise to multi-disciplinary research drug discovery and technology projects, effectively communicating recommendations and contributing to team decisions.
  • Maximize value extraction from every measurement in the lab.

What you Bring

  • Ideally PhD or MSc degree with relevant hands-on experience in the lab.
  • Industry experience is a big plus.
  • Experience and in-depth technical knowledge of biologics assay development, screening, and use of automation, with a commitment to quality and scientific rigor.
  • Strong hands-on experience in cell-based assays (e.g., cell culture techniques, viability assays, neuronal outgrowth, phagocytosis, FACS).
  • Hands-on experience with imaging platforms for live cell analysis and minimal perturbation experiments is a plus.
  • Experience in neurobiology and neurobiological disease modeling.
  • Hands-on experience with cell-based, primary and iPSC-derived neuronal models in the context of identification and validation of novel targets is beneficial.
  • Ability to solve challenges creatively and a drive to contribute to the development of new and improved assay technologies and processes.
  • Experience in biochemical and molecular biology methods (e.g., ELISA, WB and enzyme assays)
  • Experience in high throughput technologies and automated liquid handling systems is a plus.
  • Knowledge in statistical data analysis and experimental design (DoE) is of advantage.
  • Strong computer, scientific, and organizational skills with a great attention to detail.
  • Proactive, independent, structured and highly motivated approach to work combined with excellent problem solving skills and a great team spirit.
  • Strong team player with good communication skills and experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams and contributing to collaborations.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English is mandatory. Fluency in Italian is a plus.
  • Demonstrate independent judgment in technique and method selection, protocol and study design and execution, data analysis and use of standard practices and procedures for a variety of problems of moderate scope and complexity to meet assigned objectives.

    About Us

    Peptone is a category-defining translational biophysics company focusing on the intersection of physics, biology and supercomputing. Currently, we are in the scale up phase, where our efforts go into building out our experimental lab capacity in Switzerland while growing the HPC and ML teams in the UK.

    Our interdisciplinary team consists of physicists, biologists, computational chemists, software engineers and mathematicians. We have created a company culture that is based on scientific and personal integrity and a highly supportive, inclusive attitude. Our curiosity and drive stem from the shared passion to contribute to our scientific understanding of proteins and to translate these insights into reality by developing drugs that make people’s lives better.

    Corporate Culture

    Default to transparency. As individuals, we view transparency as a lifestyle of authenticity, respect, and honesty. As a team, we view transparency as an effective way to work remotely and establish a culture of trust.

    Cultivate positivity. We strive to approach things in a positive way while realizing all emotions are valid. We encourage constructive feedback from team members and business partners to foster positive collaborations.

    Show gratitude. We regularly stop and demonstrate gratitude for our circumstances. We are reverent to our team, investors, advisors, and commercial partners who believed in us from the beginning and will always use this as a guiding light to growth.

    Practice reflection. We believe the act of introspection is where true learning and life-changing adjustments originate. We approach discussions intentionally and think through all angles.

    Improve consistently. We are biased toward action and have a higher expectation of ourselves and of our technology than others have of us. We aim to be fully engaged in our work and activities, and fully disconnected when we’re not working.

    Act beyond yourself. We consider the bigger picture, knowing our work goes beyond ourselves. We are not afraid of the less-traveled path if it holds true to our values and betters the world.

    Build Sustainably. Sustainability is at the core of our technology, research, and team values. Oppenheimer’s supercomputer runs on 100% renewable energy and mitigates the need for traditional high-throughput experiments in our Swiss lab. Our team is incentivized and committed to growing a sustainable future and corporate culture.

    Diversify. Diversity at all levels is paramount in translating biophysics to first in-class medicines while embracing the serendipity of science. Diversity in mindsets, gender, skills, backgrounds, and — because we are geeks, protein sequences — are key to building an impactful future for our patients.

    Patient Passion. Our team is interwoven with a passion for understanding the “why” of protein drug failures to avoid them. The integration of the Oppenheimer platform with our Swiss pre-clinical laboratory is an unwavering commitment to developing first-in-class protein therapeutics for our patients.

    Reverence to the giants. We embrace the fortitude and ingenuity of all the great minds and teams who advanced the field of protein biophysics to enable cutting-edge therapeutics. It is our honor to collaborate in this arena to pay homage to scientists who laid the very foundation.

    Committed to our Corporate Culture to embrace diversity, Peptone Ltd and affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers building a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

    Our Mission

    Delivering first-in-class medicines for better patient outcomes is our obsession. Translating biophysics of intrinsic protein disorder to generate de novo protein therapeutics is our passion.