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Full-Time

Scientist I

Conjugation Development

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Vaxcyte

Vaxcyte

201-500 employees

Develops vaccines for bacterial infections

Biotechnology
Healthcare

Compensation Overview

$125k - $130kAnnually

+ Equity Component

Mid, Senior, Expert

San Carlos, CA, USA

Category
Lab & Research
Life Sciences
Requirements
  • B.S. in chemistry, biochemistry, or related field with 8+ years of relevant industry experience; MS with 5+ years of relevant industry experience, or Ph.D. with two years of relevant industry experience.
  • Experience with laboratory-scale protein purification methods such as dialysis, diafiltration and size-exclusion chromatography. Experience with tangential flow filtration (TFF) is desirable.
  • Working knowledge of analytical methods including colorimetric assays, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and SDS-PAGE for characterization of reaction products.
  • Experience performing protein conjugation reactions is desirable.
  • Experience with chemical modification of polysaccharides is desirable.
  • Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills; ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in written formats.
  • Self-starter; ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment and collaborate effectively with other team members.
  • Enthusiasm to learn the new skills and techniques necessary to tackle problems outside of current area of expertise.
Responsibilities
  • Optimize and troubleshoot multi-step syntheses of protein-polysaccharide conjugates.
  • Purify polysaccharides and conjugates using a variety of methods including dialysis, size-exclusion chromatography, and tangential flow filtration (TFF).
  • Analyze polysaccharides and conjugates with methods including colorimetric assays, HPLC assays, and SEC-MALS.
  • Maintain highly organized records to enable optimization and assessment of reproducibility.
  • Track inventory of reagents critical to conjugation development, and make purchases to replenish when necessary.
  • Attend team meetings ready to provide updates on conjugation development progress.

Vaxcyte develops vaccines aimed at preventing bacterial infections, focusing on diseases like invasive pneumococcal disease, Group A Strep, periodontitis, and Shigella. Their lead product, VAX-24, is a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that targets 24 strains of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria and has received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA. Vaxcyte utilizes advanced chemistry and a proprietary cell-free protein synthesis platform, XpressCF™, to create vaccines that can effectively address the complex defenses of bacteria while stimulating an immune response. This method sets them apart from traditional cell-based vaccine production. The company's goal is to develop and commercialize broad-spectrum vaccines to protect vulnerable populations from serious bacterial infections.

Company Stage

IPO

Total Funding

$2.3B

Headquarters

Foster City, California

Founded

2013

Growth & Insights
Headcount

6 month growth

24%

1 year growth

53%

2 year growth

114%
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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Significant investments from major financial entities like Vanguard and Mutual of America Capital Management indicate strong market confidence in Vaxcyte's potential.
  • The recent $816.5 million raised through stock and warrant sales provides substantial capital for advancing their vaccine pipeline.
  • The appointment of experienced board members like John Furey can provide strategic guidance and enhance corporate governance.

What critics are saying

  • The success of Vaxcyte heavily depends on the clinical and commercial success of its lead product, VAX-24, which is still subject to regulatory approval.
  • The competitive landscape in vaccine development is intense, with numerous established players potentially overshadowing Vaxcyte's market entry.

What makes Vaxcyte unique

  • Vaxcyte leverages its proprietary XpressCF™ cell-free protein synthesis platform, which allows for more efficient and versatile vaccine production compared to traditional cell-based methods.
  • Their focus on broad-spectrum vaccines, such as VAX-24 targeting 24 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, sets them apart in the vaccine development landscape.
  • The FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for VAX-24 underscores the innovative potential and clinical significance of their lead product.