About this role
About the Role Moderna is seeking an individual to lead host strain, vector, and expression system strategy for E. coli-based production of recombinant enzymes, plasmids, and related biological materials supporting Moderna’s technology platforms and pipeline programs. This role owns the front end of microbial production: designing, building, screening, and selecting host/vector/expression systems that enable high-performing, scalable, and robust upstream processes.
The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in microbial genetics, molecular biology, expression-system design, screening workflows, data-driven construct selection, and translation of small-scale screening outputs into process-development-ready leads. What You'll Do
- Own the strategy for E. coli host strain, vector, and expression-system for recombinant enzymes, plasmids, and related biological materials.
- Design and execute screening cascades that identify production candidates with strong titer, yield, quality, genetic stability, robustness, and process-development potential.
- Define stage-appropriate decision criteria for host/vector selection, expression tuning, induction strategy, plasmid stability, growth, product quality, and manufacturability.
- Develop and optimize small-scale and high-throughput screening workflows, including shake flask, deep-well plate, ambr, or other scale-down systems where appropriate.
- Evaluate host strains, promoters, ribosome binding sites, copy number, plasmid architecture, induction systems, codon/design strategies, secretion or localization strategies where relevant, and expression timing.
- Use DOE and data-driven approaches to improve screening throughput, predictiveness, reproducibility, and translation to bioreactor performance.
- Lead or support strain and vector engineering to improve expression performance, stability, productivity, robustness, and manufacturability.
- Apply molecular biology, microbial physiology, and synthetic biology principles to troubleshoot poor expression, instability, toxicity, metabolic burden, inclusion body formation, degradation, or inconsistent performance.
- Define fit-for-purpose characterization and handoff packages for candidate strains and constructs, including strain/vector history, design rationale, screening data, stability observations, known risks, and recommended development paths.
- Partner with process development, analytical development, downstream purification, informatics, automation, and data science teams to ensure screening outputs are actionable and linked to relevant quality and process attributes.
- Develop platform approaches and standardized documentation, data capture, decision criteria, and knowledge-management practices for recurring activities.