Sayura Aoyagi, Ph.D. Antibody Validation Scientist Cell Signaling Technology Careers in the Scientific Reagent Industry: Antibody Development

Careers in Reagent Development- Antibodies Topics: My scientific background Cell Signaling Technology Job description-Antibody validation scientist Likes and dislikes about the position Qualifications required for the position Other positions to consider in a scientific reagents company Things to do and think about now for the future

My Scientific Background B.S. Biochemistry-Trinity College, Hartford, CT Ph.D. Biochemistry-University of Rochester, Rochester NY Mechanism of Nucleosome Remodeling by SWI/SNF and Mi-2 Post-Doctoral Fellow-NIEHS/NIH, RTP, NC PR and GR mediated Transcription Regulation Antibody Validation Scientist at Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers MA Area of Chromatin and Transcription, RNA processing and Nuclear Receptor research

Cell Signaling Technology Motto: Deliver the world’s highest quality research, diagnostic, and therapeutic products that accelerate biological understanding and enable personalized medicine. Private, family-owned company with over 400 employees worldwide. Produce all of our antibodies in house, and perform validations for multiple applications. Rabbit monoclonal antibody. CST is also actively engaged in the development of new technologies for signaling analysis as well as cell biology research. CST scientists in the highest quality peer-reviewed journals.

Antibody Validation Scientist Propose and research targets for antibody development Journal articles Scientific conferences Customer requests Collaborators-both academic and industry Present targets to a selection committee Justify developing an antibody against a target based on biological importance, potential sales Discuss potential applications (IHC, IF, Flow, ChIP) that the antibody will be validated for and present test models

Antibody Validation Scientist Validation of Antibodies Research targets, methods to verify biological systems to test the antibodies-WB and IP Direct/Mentor Research Associates to perform experiments on a daily basis. Coordinate testing of antibodies for applications such as ChIP, IF, Flow, IHC Documentation of antibody validation Formulation of the first lot of antibodies Datasheet creation and transfer of products to product management Be an ‘expert’ in your field for the company Help out other scientists in the company Scientific Brochures/catalogs

Antibody Validation Scientist: Qualifications Ph.D. in the biological sciences-Antibody validation scientists are hired based on one’s area of expertise Post-doctoral fellowship with a steady publication record Very good organizational skills to track all the projects Good managerial skills-Manage Research Associates Great communication and people skills-to work with multiple departments Must be quick to adapt to new changes-as a new hire as well as as a seasoned scientist who must adapt to changes and growth of the company

Other Positions to Consider with a Ph.D. in the Biological Sciences Production Management Scientist Manage product inventory Make subsequent lots of antibodies after the first lot Make sure quality of the product is maintained throughout the lifetime of the product Interact with customers Make suggestions for antibody development based on customer feedback Assay Development Scientist Develop assay kits-ELISA, ChIP, IHC, IF etc. Interact with customers

Other Positions to Consider with a Ph.D. in the Biological Sciences Management of Core Services Groups Applications management (IF, IHC, Flow, ChIP) Antigen design Antibody purification Splenocyte immortalization Technology Development Involved in continually improving product development methods-publish as well as the findings can be applied to production scale Research Scientists Use the tools that we generate as ‘products’ to perform original research, as well as collaborate with outside scientist on projects-which in turn can lead to identification of additional targets to make antibodies against

Other Positions to Consider with a Ph.D. in the Biological Sciences Product Annalists Research potential for sales for antibody products that we suggest Customer interaction-get feelers out to see what areas are hot, what targets we should be concentrating on Legal (J.D. in addition to a science graduate degree) Manage MTAs Work on contracts with outside collaborators Manage patent filings Manage licensing agreements Drive ‘deals’ with other companies on the legal end Marketing and Sales Attend meetings-advertise and recommend our products Scientific editing-data sheets, informational fliers and brochures Sales specialists in the field

What can you do now? Publish-best way to show productivity Polish up on communications skills-presentations, being able to work with others Carefully consider Post-doc or not- it can make a difference in the options you have in your career. Is not having a ‘real job’ for a few years worth the effort for what you would like to achieve Develop good professional networks Be open minded about various positions-consider pharma/biotech/reagent companies

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