Scientist I, Protein Production at Abata Therapeutics

Seattle, Washington, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Junior (1 to 2 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Biotechnology, Drug DiscoveryIndustries

Requirements

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Protein Engineering, or a related discipline with 0–2 years of postdoctoral or industry experience; or B.S./B.A. in a relevant field with 8–10 years of hands-on laboratory experience in protein expression and purification
Demonstrated expertise in recombinant protein expression and purification across multiple host systems
Expertise with BLI (Octet/Gator) or SPR (Biacore) instrumentation, data analysis, and assay optimization
Proficiency in molecular cloning (PCR, Gibson, Golden Gate, mutagenesis) and expression construct design
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot independently across molecular and biophysical workflows
Excellent organization, record-keeping (ELN), and communication skills
Comfortable managing multiple projects in a collaborative, fast-paced research environment
Preferred
Familiarity with automation or high-throughput expression/purification pipelines
Hands-on experience with chromatography systems (e.g., ÄKTA)

Responsibilities

Design and cloning: Design and generate expression constructs (gene synthesis, codon optimization, vector cloning, mutagenesis) to support protein engineering and reagent generation
Expression: Express recombinant proteins in multiple systems (E. coli, mammalian, cell-free, etc), optimizing yield and solubility
Purification: Purify proteins using chromatographic methods (affinity, ion exchange, size exclusion, etc.) and ensure reproducibility, purity, and stability
Protein characterization: Assess protein quality (SDS-PAGE, aSEC, etc), binding properties (BLI, ELISA, etc), and developability properties (ELISA, HIC, etc)
Biophysical analysis: Design and execute binding and kinetic studies using BLI (Octet/Gator) and/or SPR (Biacore). Analyze sensorgrams, fit binding models, and determine kinetic constants (kon, koff, KD)
Optimization and troubleshooting: Identify and address challenges related to expression, aggregation, or stability, and implement optimization strategies
High-throughput support: Contribute to automation or parallelized expression/purification workflows to enable rapid protein generation
Collaboration and documentation: Maintain rigorous electronic lab notebook records, manage reagent inventory, communicate results clearly to cross-functional teams, and contribute to SOP development and continuous workflow improvements

Skills

recombinant protein production

molecular cloning

gene synthesis

codon optimization

vector cloning

mutagenesis

protein expression

E. coli expression

mammalian expression

cell-free expression

protein purification

affinity chromatography

ion exchange chromatography

size exclusion chromatography

biophysical characterization

Abata Therapeutics

Develops therapies for autoimmune diseases

About Abata Therapeutics

Abata Therapeutics develops therapies for autoimmune diseases, focusing on type 1 diabetes. Their main product, ABA 201, is a Treg cell therapy aimed at patients with some remaining beta cell function. This therapy works by utilizing regulatory T cells to improve patient outcomes. Unlike many competitors, Abata targets a specific niche within the autoimmune disease market and collaborates with partners like ElevateBio for process development and manufacturing. The company's goal is to transform treatment options for autoimmune diseases through advanced research and development.

Cambridge, MassachusettsHeadquarters

2021Year Founded

$184.8MTotal Funding

EARLY_VCCompany Stage

BiotechnologyIndustries

11-50Employees

Risks

Intensifying competition from companies like Sangamo Therapeutics may impact Abata's market share.

Stringent FDA scrutiny on manufacturing could delay Abata's clinical trials.

Rising clinical trial costs pose financial risks to Abata's pipeline progression.

Differentiation

Abata focuses on Treg cell therapies for autoimmune diseases like MS and diabetes.

Their lead product, ABA 201, targets type 1 diabetes with remaining beta cell function.

Abata's strategic partnership with ElevateBio enhances their manufacturing capabilities.

Upsides

Recent investment from Bristol Myers Squibb boosts Abata's Treg therapy pipeline development.

FDA's accelerated approval pathways may expedite Abata's clinical trials.

Growing autoimmune disease prevalence increases demand for Abata's innovative treatments.

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