Associate Scientist, Tissue Engineering

The job details are as follows:

What We Do

We build on the strength of our research and development expertise and a distinctive, entrepreneurial culture that encourages diversity, innovation, creativity, sustainability, and, simply, fun. Since inception, our mission has been to find a cure for pulmonary arterial hypertension and other life-threatening diseases. Toward this goal we have successfully gained FDA approval for five medicines, we are always conducting new clinical trials, and we are working to create an unlimited supply of manufactured organs for transplantation.

We are the first publicly-traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation (PBC). Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through (a) the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies; and (b) technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs. At the same time, we seek to provide our shareholders with superior financial performance and our communities with earth-sensitive energy utilization.

Our company was founded by an entrepreneur whose daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. She sought to find treatment options and a cure for her daughter and patients like her. We are founder-led, and relentless in our pursuit of “medicines for life”. We continue to research and develop treatments for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, and other orphan diseases.

How you’ll contribute
The Associate Scientist - Tissue Engineering (OMG) will contribute to develop and implement tissue engineering strategies to create functional 3D printed lungs. This Associate Scientist role will develop knowledge on endothelium-stromal cells interactions and lung tissue engineering that are required to generate a functional 3D printed lung scaffold with hierarchical vascular networks. Specifically, the candidate will be expected to assist in bioengineering the mechano-chemical properties of the extracellular microenvironment in the formation and maintenance of vascular network. This work will support the development of methods and protocols to produce cell-laden 3D printed lung constructs with critical cell-mediated functions that are suitable for preclinical and in vitro lung functional evaluation.

• Contribute efforts to create, develop, and evaluate cellularized 3D printed biomaterials for lung tissue engineering
• Contribute to the development of in vitro tissue models with high throughput screening capabilities and use the models to evaluate and investigate interactions between endothelial and stromal cells
• Contribute and improve dynamic culture systems to study cell-mediated lung tissue functions
• Establish and maintain foundational knowledge on emerging biotechnology in lung tissue engineering, biomaterials, dynamic tissue models, and lung physiology
• Conduct lab work and prototype performance testing, and interpret data and results to provide guidance on design iterations
• Routinely maintain critical materials and reagents needed to complete assigned experiments
• Record experimental details and findings in electronic notebook entries
• Routinely meet 1:1 with managers to review results and progress
• Maintain high level of communication with internal cross-functional R&D team, as well as external vendors, and consultants
• Perform other duties as assigned

For this role you will need

Minimum Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biology (or equivalent)
• 1+ year(s) prior research experience in development and testing cell interactions on hydrogels, peptides, microfluidics, biomaterials, bioreactors and/or biomaterials
• 1+ year(s) experience with imaging techniques (e.g. confocal imaging and microscopy techniques) and biological assays (e.g. staining, qRT-PCR, cell culture)
• 3D cell culture and cell-biomaterials interactions
• Understanding of tissue engineering concepts and current field
• Background knowledge on bioreactor design and operation
• Knowledge of cell, extracellular matrix and niche, and biomaterials interaction
• Imaging and microscopy
• Protein and Molecular biology assays and techniques (histology, qPCR, ELISA, cytokine arrays, metabolic assays)
• Aseptic Technique and mammalian cell culture
• Track record of success (products, patents, grants, followships and/or publications) in tissue engineering, bioengineering biomaterials, microfluidic devices, bioreactor design and/or development and cellularization of acellular scaffolds

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with fabricating multiscale vascular hierarchy in 3D hydrogels.
• Experience with vascular and stromal cells in 3D biomaterials for lung tissue engineering
• Experience with the development and operation of bioreactors, microfluidics and/or other dynamic culture systems
• Previous industry experience (including internship/Co-op) in a biotechnology company
• Methods to evaluate vascular health in vitro (e.g. vasculogenesis assay, perfusability)
• Methods to evaluate stromal cell health in vitro (e.g. traction force microscopy)
• Knowledge of interactions between stromal cells and endothelial cells in lung tissues
• Understanding and knowledge of vascular health and de novo vessel formation
• Proficient with microfluidics, bioreactor and/or other dynamic culture techniques

At United Therapeutics, you’ll realize quickly that it is not an ordinary place to work! When you join our company, you will learn, grow, contribute, have fun, and be challenged... all while making a difference in the lives of our patients.

While United Therapeutics does not require vaccination for Covid-19 at this time, we strongly encourage all employees and visitors to remain up to date on vaccinations and boosters to protect one another from illness. Employees working in customer-facing roles must adhere and comply with customers’ credentialing guidelines, which may require vaccination against Covid -19, the influenza virus, and other illnesses that could be harmful to healthcare staff and patients.

United Therapeutics Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer - EOE Minorities / Females / Protected Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities