Experienced Scientist - In vitro cardiac disease modelling

Are you an experienced scientist in the field of stem cells and gene editing? Would you like to use this expertise to contribute to the development of novel therapies? If yes, we might have the right opening for you!

At AstraZeneca in Gothenburg, Sweden we have an exciting opportunity for an Associate Principal Scientist to join us in the Applied Stem Cell Sciences group in Translational Genomics, Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D. As a bench-based experienced scientist you will be a key player in developing therapeutics to change patients' lives.

We continually push the boundaries of science to deliver medicines that treat diseases across our main therapy areas. Through our integration with Alexion, this now includes expanding the limits of scientific research to better understand rare diseases and to discover new life-changing treatments for them.

What you'll do:
Using your strong knowledge and experience in stem cell biology, cell model development and CRISPR technology you will have the opportunity to work on in vitro aspects of therapeutic genome editing projects. This includes culture, genome-engineering and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and genetic and functional validation of engineered lines. You will be working alongside our stem cell scientists, disease area specialists and genome editing group.

The role is focused on laboratory-based activities and your biggest impact will be through significant contributions to the practical delivery to projects in compliance with AstraZeneca corporate responsibility, policies and relevant safety standards. You will get the opportunity to mentor research associates. Other accountabilities:

* Culture and differentiation of human iPSC lines to cardiac and skeletal muscle.
* Design and implementation of iPSC genome engineering projects to advance functional studies in disease relevant cell types.
* Perform molecular biology, biochemical, and cellular assays to evaluate the outcomes of gene editing experiments on genomic DNA, mRNA, protein, and functional levels.
* Design, develop, and optimize in vitro transfection/transduction experiments using a variety of perturbagens, including lentivirus/AAV-mediated infection.

Essential in the role:

* PhD in Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, or equivalent with +5 years of academia or industry experience.
* Demonstrable scientific impact and innovation capacity through publication record.
* Proven experience with PSC biology and carrying out functional assays with iPSC-derived muscle cell types.
* Demonstrable experience with cell line engineering using CRISPR/CAS9.
* Proficiency with the following assay platforms: RT-qPCR, ddPCR, Flow Cytometry, ELISA, Western blots, and cellular functional assays.
* Experience with the culture of multiple mammalian cell types including primary cells.

It is also essential to have the ability to communicate, collaborate and be a strong team player in multidisciplinary team. This should go hand in hand with you skills to work independently, take own initiatives and have a positive, goal oriented and problem-solving attitude.

Desirable in the role:

* Experience with NGS library prep, bioinformatic analysis, and cutting-edge molecular biology methods.
* Expertise with liquid handling automation technologies.
* Experience of setting up cell based pharmacological assays.

Why AstraZeneca?
It takes resilience to embody our entrepreneurial spirit. For those who thrive on experimentation, you'll get to work with knowns and unknowns. Exploring without limits. Always advancing our scientific knowledge and helping to shape the future of healthcare for the greatest and swiftest impact on disease.

So, what's next? If this sounds like your next career step - apply today! We look forward to your application no later than 27th February, 2022.

For more information about the position please contact hiring manager Bilada Bilican, Bilada.bilican@astrazeneca.com.

Additional information:
Our Gothenburg site: https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-science/gothenburg.html
Relocating to Gothenburg: https://www.astrazeneca.se/om-oss/verksamheten-i-sverige/goteborg/relocate-to-gothenburg.html
About BioPharmaceuticals R&D: https://www.astrazeneca.com/r-d.html