Junior Scientist - Immuno-oncology

Xilis

Xilis

Utrecht, Netherlands
Posted on Sep 7, 2024
Xilis is an innovation-driven biotech company developing its proprietary MicroOrganoSphere (“MOS”) Technology for functional precision oncology. Xilis’ MOS Technology enables rapid and scalable generation of patient tumor models that retain patient-specific tumor biology and tumor microenvironment, representing one of the most translationally relevant ex vivo technologies for precision oncology drug discovery and development. The headquarters, Xilis, Inc., is located in Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, and the subsidiary Xilis B.V. is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Xilis is building a functional precision medicine platform that incorporates scaled multi-modal profiling of therapeutic activity and AI/ML-enabled analytics to catalyze functional precision medicine drug discovery, development, and diagnostics. Collectively, Xilis aims to harness its MOS Platform to enable the development of the most effective therapeutics and guide them to the right patients at the right time.
We are looking for a motivated and innovative Jr. Scientist to join our growing team to further develop our MicroOrganoSphere (MOS) platform for the evaluation of clinically relevant (immuno)therapy. In this role, the Jr Scientist hired will support collaborative projects with Xilis’ strategic partners focused on leveraging MOS technology in the immuno-oncology space. The selected candidate will work very closely with experts in the fields of cancer (immune) biology and assay development. The Jr Scientist will execute critical experiments, participate in detailed analysis, draw conclusions, and formulate next steps / experimental designs related to MOS assay development. The Jr Scientist will bring exceptional laboratory skills and an ability to run large and complex experiments independently and in a team. The candidate will have prior experience in primary cell culture involving immune co-culture assays, immune cell characterization by multi-color flow cytometry, and a demonstrated ability to operate lab instrumentation.
The candidate will be highly motivated, have a strong work ethic, and have excellent communication skills, thereby contributing to the Xilis BV’s team-oriented culture.The candidate will have the opportunity to fundamentally advance precision cancer care by developing cutting-edge scientific methods into Xilis’ technology portfolio. In the next few months and years, the candidate will:

Responsibilities

  • Design and run large and complex experiments, analyze results, and draw conclusions to support ongoing assay development efforts
  • Transparently report outcomes to the team and engage in team feedback
  • Carefully maintain meticulous records of experimental designs, execution details, and results
  • Organize and present experimental results to the cross-functional team. Contribute to meetings with scientific experts from partner organizations
  • Support laboratory operations, troubleshooting of issues, SOP development, and maintenance. Perform support tasks across the company as needs arise
  • Operate successfully in a rapidly changing, fast-paced, mission-driven environment
  • Collaborate and co-develop assays with our Xilis BV team in the Netherlands and the Xilis R&D team in the US

Requirements

  • Ph.D. degree in immunology, immuno-oncology or a related field. (Bonus: laboratory experience in an industrial setting)
  • Extensive experience with handling primary tissue samples and primary immune cell cultures
  • Experience working with flow cytometry using large (>10) marker panels (Bonus: experience with spectral flow cytometry)
  • Experience with cytokine measurements, immunofluorescence, cell viability assays, and fluorescent microscopy is desirable
  • A proven track record of independently and successfully running complex experiments
  • Open to engage proactively in scientific discussions
  • A strong enthusiasm for being in the laboratory to personally run experiments
  • Organized and goal-oriented, with project management experience
  • A strong sense of commitment, integrity and team spirit
  • Experience and interest in a high-growth startup, where communication is key
Xilis was created when its three founders — an engineer, a physician, and a biologist — decided to come together and commercialize their technology to transform cancer care. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. Furthermore, even if your work experience isn't perfectly aligned with what we've described above, if you're excited about what we're building then we want to talk to you!