At Bristol Myers Squibb, we are inspired by a single vision – transforming patients’ lives through science. In oncology, hematology, immunology and cardiovascular disease – and one of the most diverse and promising pipelines in the industry – each of our passionate colleagues contribute to innovations that drive meaningful change. We bring a human touch to every treatment we pioneer. Join us and make a difference.

CURRENT SIX-MONTH CO-OP OPPORTUNITY

Discovery Pharmacology and In Vivo Biology (Cambridge, MA)

GOAL: Development and characterization of key tools and assays to support in vivo Oncology target ID and drug discovery.

We are seeking a co-op to join the Discovery Pharmacology and In Vivo Biology team at our new state-of-the-art facility in Cambridge, MA.  Our group is charged with leveraging preclinical mouse models to enable the discovery of new biology and therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.  This project will focus on developing and executing CRISPR-based in vivo discovery of tumor cell intrinsic mechanisms that control cancer fitness, as well as developing and characterizing key tools for in vivo utilization to support cancer drug discovery.  

The candidate will gain experience in a variety of in vitro and ex vivo skills including but not limited to cell culture, transfection/transduction, tumor dissociation, DNA/RNA/protein extraction, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, western blotting, flow cytometry.. The candidate will not perform any in vivo experiments..

To achieve the above goals, this project will involve the following assignments:

WORK/PLAN WITH MANAGER TO IDENTIFY RELEVANT TOOLS AND TUMOR MODELS FOR DEVELOPMENT (10%)

• Complete required safety trainings for working in the laboratory.
• Meet and interact with team members to understand the scope and remit of the group’s priorities.
• Become familiarized with target biology and on-going research
• Work with manager to plan out strategies to better understand the key concepts and steps in early target ID, the use of CRISPR-based screens for target identification and validation studies, and the use of cellular reporter assays to readout signaling pathways.

DEVELOP, OPTIMIZE AND EXECUTE PROTOCOLS TO DERIVE AND CHARACTERIZE GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED CANCER CELL LINE MODELS, PERFORM GENETIC SCREENS, AND DEVELOP/OPTIMIZE NOVEL CELLULAR ASSAYS (80%)

• Learn and master basic laboratory skills; including more advanced techniques including but not limited to the following:   
• Development of key CRISPR/Cas9 tools, support CRISPR-based in vivo screens via in vitro and ex vivo work such as cell culture, DNA/RNA extraction from cells and tumor tissue.
• Development of cellular reporter assays to aid in the understanding of in vivo Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of cancer therapeutics, and assessment of PD markers using novel transcriptional reporter-based assays, qPCR, Western Blot and MSD.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING: 10%

• Attend lab meetings, group meetings and site wide invited speaker seminars
• Present project progress at lab/group meetings as appropriate

REQUIREMENTS/EDUCATION:

Desired background and skills include:

• Enrolled in US-based Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program in Biology or Chemistry.
• Completion of introductory level course work in the natural sciences (ex. Cell Biology, Biochemistry or Immunology) is required.
• Prior experience in a laboratory setting with solid mammalian cell culture skills and/or in vitro biology assays is strongly desired.
• The candidate is not required to have experience working with laboratory rodents, however must be comfortable working with mouse tissue, blood and blood products.

KEY LEARNINGS:

Become familiar with in vitro and ex vivo techniques including:

• Cell culture
• DNA/RNA/protein isolation
• CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing
• Transcriptional reporter assays
• Western blot, q-PCR, and MSD

Gain an understanding of the importance of basic biology in drug discovery and development in BioPharma.

KEY DELIVERABLES AT PROJECT COMPLETION:

At end of the co-op assignment, the student will be required to present a summary of their project and key learnings

Around the world, we are passionate about making an impact on the lives of patients with serious diseases. Empowered to apply our individual talents and diverse perspectives in an inclusive culture, our shared values of passion, innovation, urgency, accountability, inclusion and integrity bring out the highest potential of each of our colleagues.

Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives.

Bristol Myers Squibb is a leading global biopharma company focused on discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines for patients with serious diseases in areas including oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular, fibrosis and neuroscience. Our employees work every day to transform patients’ lives through science.