Turnstone Biologics (“Turnstone”), a privately held clinical stage biotech company, is developing breakthrough cancer immunotherapies by advancing two leading and complementary platforms that drive innate and adaptive tumor immunity, to provide benefit to the millions of cancer patients underserved by current treatment options. Turnstone’s proprietary vaccinia virus platform is engineered to drive coordinated immune activation, potent viral activity, and local expression of encoded therapeutics. The innovative TIL cell therapy platform leverages clinically validated treatment protocols and has been specifically designed to extend beyond the use of bulk TILs to enrich for the most relevant T-cells for tumor eradication, preserving broad antigen diversity and minimizing time to treatment for patients. The Company has an ongoing Phase 1/2a trial in solid tumors (RAPTOR) for its leading oncolytic virus candidate, RIVAL-01, and is expecting to file an IND for the lead TIL therapy candidate, TIDAL-01, in 2022.
At Turnstone, the science drives decision-making and our therapeutics are designed with the patient foremost in mind. We continue to build a world-class, high-performing company that embraces being a learning organization with a sense of urgency. Imagine coming to work every day where over-communication, transparency, teaching, listening, asking, thinking, working hard, and having fun are normal – actually, expected? Imagine having a coach, mentor, peers, and partners where candid feedback, self-improvement, risk taking, failing, learning from that failing, and succeeding thereafter are what we call ‘another day at Turnstone’? If you are a passionate person, and our science excites you – this opportunity may be for you.
Position Overview:
The Sr. Research Technician provides support and assistance to senior researchers and project teams by performing a variety of experimental techniques using state-of-the-art instrumentation, and following established laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The candidate is expected to keep accurate experimental records and contribute to data analysis and figure preparation under supervision of senior research staff.
Additional responsibilities will include inventory management, laboratory organization, routine maintenance, and calibration of laboratory equipment.
The incumbent will participate in an innovative research environment and will support a team working to translate basic research findings into novel therapeutic strategies. The position will contribute both intellectually and experimentally to the success of a multidisciplinary team.
Responsibilities:
· Tissue culture: maintain primary cells and cell line cultures
· Perform multi-parameter flow cytometry
· Isolate tumor and immune cells from patient samples
· Lymphocyte expansion
· Cell based functional assays
· Perform western blots
· Keep accurate experimental records
· Autoclave instruments
· Responsible for following Standardized Operating Protocol for lab tests
· Assist in the summation or analysis of data required for communications/reports/presentations.
· Perform a range of duties associated with maintaining laboratory readiness in cooperation with other team members
· Prepare and Aliquot media and reagents
· Inventory management, i.e. order/unpack/restock/organize lab supplies as required
· Other duties as required
Experience & Qualifications:
· B.S with experience in an academic or industrial laboratory is preferred
· Experience with mammalian cell culture with excellent sterile technique is required
· Experience with flow cytometry is preferred
· Experience with immune cell culture or isolation of PBMCs is a plus
· Must have good analytical and problem solving abilities with strong attention to detail
· Knowledge and experience with standard software (e.g. LIMS, Microsoft Office Suite, GraphPad Prism, FlowJo)
· Knowledge and commitment to Occupational Health and Safety Procedures and Biosafety Procedures in a laboratory.