Scientist II at Encelta and LSSI ( Prof. Sai Reddy)

Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) is located in Basel, the hub of Swiss Biotech innovation. At D-BSSE  we execute cutting-edge research to answer unmet social needs in biotechnology and life sciences.  At the Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Immunology (LSSI), we combine state-of-the-art molecular engineering methods with computational biology to develop and characterize novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer.

We offer a position in a young and international team working on the frontier of T cell immunotherapies dedicated to bring new therapies to patients in need. Conditions of employment are in accordance with the personnel and salary regulations of the ETH Zurich.

We are looking for a highly motivated Ph.D. graduate/ postdoc with a starting date of 15. January 2023. Our contract is limited to 1 year with the potential to extension. 

About us

Edo Kapetanovic  MD Ph.D., is a lead inventor of Encelta's technology. He holds a medical doctorate degree from the University of Rijeka (2016) and has completed his Ph.D.  thesis in immunoengineering from ETH Zurich (2021) under the supervision of Prof. Sai Reddy. His scientific aspirations are to bring novel cancer immunotherapies to patients in need. His research has been generously funded by Helmut Horten Stiftung (2017) and more recently Edo has been awarded an Innousisse grant (2022) to lead   Encelta' s pre-clinical development. 

Prof. Sai Reddy is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at ETH Zurich in the Dept. of Biosystems Science & Engineering, Basel, Switzerland and a chairman of the Engimmune Therapeutics Scientific Advisory Board. He is the principal investigator of the Laboratory for Systems and Synthetic Immunology (LSSI) whose research is focused on immunogenomics by next-​generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of immune repertoires and reprogramming of immune cells by genome engineering for applications in biotechnology, vaccination, and immunotherapy. His work previously led to the spin-out company, deepCDR, which in 2021 was acquired by Boston based Alloy Therapeutics.

Encelta is an incubating spin-off from LSSI funded by Innosuisse, that focuses on engineering T-cell therapies. Particularly, we are developing novel combination therapies of bispecific antibodies and engineered allogeneic T cells that are safe for the patient and at the same time effectively target and clear tumor cells. Our work revolves around understanding  TCR biology and deciphering the complex nature of TCR signaling.  Through designing and screening mutational genetic libraries, performing functional assays and computational analysis we discover and engineer T cells with novel and unique properties.  

You will drive the pre-clinical development of our T-cell products. You will also be extensively working with patient samples, performing and optimizing, T cell engineering, cytotoxicity assays as well as NGS sequencing to characterize and improve our TCR pipeline. Youe must be a highly efficient and independent researcher skilled in designing and executing experimental workflows and implementing standard operating procedures.

• Demonstrated experience in cancer immunology
• Demonstrated experience working with primary human T cells and patient samples
• Demonstrated and Extensive experience with standard  molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry techniques: cell culture (cell lines and primary), lentiviral  transduction, genome editing, CRISPR-Cas9, co-culture assays, Multicolor FACS, Multiplex cytokine analysis (MDA, ELISA), DNA/RNA extraction and purification, gel electrophoresis, PCR, cloning, cytotoxicity assays
• NGS samples preparation and computational analysis are considered a plus
• Experience working in the Biosafety Level 2 environment
• Experience  with digital record keeping and use of electronic lab notebooks (ELN)
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Ability to prepare clear and concise documentation
• Excellent data tools skills (Microsoft Office, Prism, FlowJo, R and Galaxy)

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.