新加坡-麻省理工学院研究与技术联盟（SMART）中心2020年博士后招聘（生物/生物医学工程、生物/生命科学或相关领域）

Job Description

Project Overview

SMART CAMP (Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine) is a new interdisciplinary research programme in Singapore (CREATE international research campus and innovation hub) and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SMART CAMP addresses key technology bottlenecks in cell therapy manufacturing: (i) critical quality attributes of safe, effective cell therapy products; and (ii) integrated process analytics to monitor and modulate those attributes. While cell therapies are poised to transform healthcare for both the industry and the patient, there remain many outstanding scientific and technical challenges to significant global impact that this R&D programme addresses. This high-impact focus includes measurement and feedback control of processing parameters (process analytic technologies, or PAT) that contribute to cell viability and function during cell proliferation, and the measurement at intermediate and final steps of the cell product properties correlated with positive therapeutic outcomes (critical quality attributes, or CQA).

This interdisciplinary team comprises engineers, biologists, clinicians, manufacturing, and data analytics experts from multiple MIT academic units, and multiple Singapore-based universities, research centres of excellence, and hospitals who are experienced at translational demonstrations of technologies in safety-regulated industries such as cell therapies. As with all postdoctoral associates (PDAs) in SMART CAMP based in Singapore, the PDA will work in a diverse team of experts including several principal investigators (PIs) and PDAs, and receive direct mentorship regarding career development from a pair of who are based in Singapore and at MIT, respectively.

CAMP’s unique, enabling and cross-cutting capabilities include cell and clinical biology, microfluidics, real-time optics and spectroscopies, 3D-printed devices, process analytics, data analytics, and bioinformatics. This programme will demonstrate these approaches required of cell-based personalized medicine through three translational testbeds (three Flagship Projects), ultimately facilitating access for more patients to life-saving, approved cell therapies for currently intractable health challenges. These flagship projects will address allogeneic and autologous cell therapy products, including but not limited to cell sources including adult stem/progenitor cells and immune cells for treatment of specific cancers, tissue degeneration, and autoimmune diseases.

Flagship Project 1: Label-free critical quality attributes (CQA) for personalized efficacy of cell therapies, including multivariate analysis of biological and biophysical attributes

Flagship Project 2: Rapid critical quality attributes (CQA) for safety of cell sources & cell therapy products, including process analytic technologies (PAT)

Flagship Project 3: Integrated process analytic technologies (PAT) for cell proliferation and recovery, including in-line and intermittent monitoring to promote efficacy and safety CQA

Job Responsibilities

CAMP Flagship Project 3 – In-process control implementation with Critical Quality Attributes (CQA) outputs for adherent-cell culture systems in Cell Therapy Manufacturing.

Process analytic technologies (PAT) for cell therapy manufacturing must be accessible to or integrated with the culture vessels in which the cells are expanded to sufficient cell number and quality. This can be especially challenging for adherent cell types such as mesenchymal stromal cells, which require adhesion to culture surfaces (flasks or beads) and subsequent removal from those surfaces for most types of cell therapy product administration. This PDA will focus on assessing the efficacy and potency of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapies produced in an automated manufacturing platform. The PDA will employ a multidisciplinary approach to this investigation with a focus on MSC critical quality attributes (CQA) that are assessed with a wide variety of novel cytometric tools, high-content imaging, etc. The PDA will collaborate closely with other CAMP team members who are developing an advanced manufacturing platform employing real-time monitoring and controls.

• Develop a workflow for integration of novel cell culture platforms that can be translated into a GMP production environment.

• Perform experiments to assess changes in the CQA for cell therapy products produced under standard protocols and under continuous control based on real-time monitoring.

• As part of their work to translate their findings, the PDA will also be interfacing with the greater cell therapy community in Singapore facilitated by CAMP, which includes other researchers, clinicians, GMP manufacturers and regulatory science experts.

Job Requirements

• A Ph.D. degree in biological/biomedical engineering, biology/life sciences or a related field is required. An interdisciplinary research background MSC biology or translational science, biophysics, mechanobiology, data analytics or bioinformatics is an asset.

• Knowledge and demonstrated skill set in cell biology or application science, cell culture, primary tissue handling, bio/molecular assays and experimental techniques including microscopy (confocal, high-content), multi-parameter flow cytometry, qPCR/RNAseq, secretome analysis, etc.

• Experience with animal handling and experimentation is desired but not required

• Able to work well and communicate ideas effectively in a multidisciplinary team of researchers with different training backgrounds

• Good track record of publications and scientific output

• Self-motivated, independent, with superior organizational and analytical skills

• Able and committed to work in Singapore

To apply, please visit our website at: http://smart.mit.edu/careers/career-opportunities. Interested applicants are invited to send in their full CV/resume, cover letter and list of three references (to include reference names and contact information). We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.