JOB DESCRIPTION:The OpportunityThe
Scientist II role works out of our
Carlsbad, CA location in the Infectious Disease Division at Abbott. We're empowering smarter medical and economic decision-making to help transform the way people manage their health at all stages of life. Every day, more than 10 million tests are run on Abbott's diagnostics instruments, providing lab results for millions of people.
What You'll Work OnWe are seeking an Oligonucleotide Scientist with responsibilities spanning Process Development, Manufacturing Development, and Scale-Up of solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis. In this role, you will execute, research, develop and optimize oligonucleotide processes across the full development lifecycle - from early feasibility runs through process characterization, tech transfer and scale-up. You will work hands-on with automated synthesizers, develop and refine synthesis cycles, troubleshoot complex chemistries, and drive scale-up from nano-gram process development to micro/milli-gram scale-up. This is a high-impact role for a scientist who enjoys solving problems at the intersection of organic chemistry, analytical science, and process engineering. The scientist will also Independently develop data presentations for use within organization.
- Design and execute solid-phase oligonucleotide syntheses on automated synthesizers (e.g., Cytiva ÄKTA oligoyne, Oligopolist, GE/Cytiva flow-through platforms) using phosphonamidite chemistry.
- Develop, optimize, and document synthesis cycles, including coupling, capping, oxidation/sulfurization, and detritylation steps, and tune cycle parameters (reagent equivalents, contact times, flow rates) for each scale and chemistry.
- Support scale-up from process development (PD) to engineering and GMP production batches, including selection of solid supports (CPG, polystyrene, UnyLinker), columns (e.g., SYC, FineLINE), and reagent footprints.
- Synthesize complex modified oligonucleotides, including phosphorothioate (PS) backbones, 2'-OMe, 2'-MOE, LNA, and other relevant modifications.
- Characterize crude and purified product by analytical UPLC, IEX-HPLC, RP-HPLC, and LC/MS; interpret mass spectra to identify and quantify related impurities (n-1, n+1, depurination, longmers, shortmers, branched species, oxidation/desulfurization products).
- Troubleshoot synthesis failures and impurity profiles, drive root-cause investigations, and implement process improvements.
- Author and review technical documents - protocols, batch records, development reports, deviation investigations, and tech-transfer packages.
- Partner cross-functionally with Analytical Development, Downstream Processing/Purification, Quality, Manufacturing, and Regulatory teams.
- Maintain a safe, clean, and compliant lab environment in accordance with company SOPs and applicable cGMP / ICH guidelines.
Required Qualifications- Hands-on experience with solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis using phosphonamidite chemistry.
- B.S in biological or physical sciences, or mathematics; with minimum of 4 yrs.
- M.S. w/ minimum 2 yrs experience. Or Ph.D.
- Direct experience operating at least one automated oligonucleotide synthesizer.
- Working knowledge of common solid supports (CPG, polystyrene, UnyLinker) and the relationship between support loading, column geometry, and synthesis scale.
- Hands-on experience with LC/MS for oligonucleotide characterization, with demonstrated ability to identify and quantify related impurities (n-1, n+1, depurination, longmers, branched species, oxidation/desulfurization products) and to perform sequence confirmation by MS/MS fragmentation.
- Familiarity with complementary oligonucleotide analytical techniques: UPLC/HPLC (RP and IEX) for purity assessment.
- Strong scientific writing and documentation skills.
- Ability to work independently, prioritize multiple projects, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience in a GMP or pharmaceutical API manufacturing environment.
- Experience operating Waters LC/MS systems (e.g., Xevo, SYNAPT, ACQUITY-MS) and associated data-processing software (MassLynx, UNIFI).
- Experience with scale-up (nmol to mmol scale) and tech transfer of oligonucleotide processes.
- Familiarity with conjugated oligonucleotides (e.g., lipid conjugates).
- Experience with downstream operations - cleavage/deprotection, IEX or RP preparative purification, ultrafiltration/diafiltration, and lyophilization.
- Familiarity with statistical tools (JMP, Minitab) and Design of Experiments (DoE).
- Awareness of regulations and standards affecting IVDs and Biologics
- Basic computer skills - able to learn new computer programs
Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: https://abbottbenefits.com/
The base pay for this position is $85,600.00 - $156,000.00
In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.
JOB FAMILY:Research and Discovery
DIVISION:ID Infectious Disease
LOCATION:United States > Carlsbad : 2251 Faraday Ave
ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:WORK SHIFT:Standard
TRAVEL:Not specified
MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:Not Applicable
SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous standing for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day)
