Senior Research Associate - Cellular Analysis

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The job details are as follows:

Who we are

We are the first publicly-traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation. Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies; and technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs.

United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR ) seeks to travel down the corridors of indifference to develop treatments for rare, deadly diseases. We were founded in 1996 by a family seeking a cure for their daughters pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH ). Today, we have six FDA-approved therapies that treat PAH, pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease ( PH-ILD ) and neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer. Our near-term pipeline seeks to develop additional therapies for PAH and pulmonary fibrosis ( PF ).

The cure for end-stage life-threatening diseases like PAH, PH-ILD, PF, and many others is an organ transplant, but only a small percentage of donated organs are available to address the vast need. For this reason, we are working to create manufactured organs to address the shortage of kidneys, hearts, lungs, and livers available for transplant. We believe an unlimited supply of tolerable, transplantable organs will eliminate the transplant waiting list and cure end-stage organ diseases for which transplant is not currently an option.

Who you are

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Research Associate who will play an instrumental role in performing immunological testing of samples from xenotransplantation study candidates and participants in human clinical trials and research studies. In addition, the position will perform analysis of transgene expression and function in cells derived from transgenic pigs developed for use in xenotransplantation.

Duties include:

• Cultivate primary cells for use in immunological and functional assays and for protein expression analysis. Prepare cells for use in assays, adhering to established SOPs or research protocols. Isolate, maintain, expand, and cryopreserve valuable primary cell lines, ensuring their longevity and availability for clinical studies and research.

• Develop and refine current protocols into SOPs and lab instructions to support compliance with FDA and other regulatory requirements. This includes understanding and implementing all BSL2 safety standards and procedures.

• Receive, process, catalog, and store human and porcine serum and plasma samples. Perform safe and appropriate handling of human clinical samples

• Perform human serum IgG and IgM binding assays to porcine cells using flow cytometry

• Prepare and submit cell samples for analysis of transgene integration and Western blot analysis for transgene protein expression

• Develop and perform assays to evaluate new genotypes and transgene function with accuracy

• Test fetal bovine serum lots and other reagents as needed to ensure they meet the standards required for use

• Analyze data using Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and GraphPad Prism. Regularly present and discuss data with other staff and program leaders

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelors Degree in biology, cell or molecular biology, or biomedical sciences

• 5+ years of experience working in a biology, cell biology, or other life-sciences laboratory setting as member of laboratory research team

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in isolating, culturing, passaging, and cryopreserving of primary mammalian cells from various tissues, and immortalized cell lines, using aseptic techniques

• 5+ years of experience summarizing, analyzing and presenting scientific data

• Experience in immunofluorescence, cell imaging and flow cytometry

• Experience performing cellular assays including apoptosis and cytotoxicity assays

• Knowledge and skill in assessing primary cell quality, phenotype and growth characteristics

• Knowledge and experience using antibodies in bio-assays and to characterize and phenotype cell populations

• Ability to prepare adherent cell monolayers in multi-well plates at specific cell densities for use in functional assays

• Willingness to perform occasional after hours and weekend work as needed to maintain valuable cell cultures and prepare experiments

• Drivers License

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience preparing antibody-labelled cells for flow cytometry

• Experience using Biotek GEN5 software for running plate based assays

Job Location

This position is located at our Blacksburg, VA facility.

At United Therapeutics, our mission and vision are one. We use our enthusiasm, creativity, and persistence to innovate for the unmet medical needs of our patients and to benefit our other stakeholders. We are bold and unconventional. We have fun, we do good.

Eligible employees may participate in the Companys comprehensive benefits suite of programs, including medical / dental / vision / prescription coverage, employee wellness resources, savings plans (401k and ESPP), paid time off & paid parental leave benefits, disability benefits, and more. For additional information on Company benefits, please visit

United Therapeutics Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.