PhD Student - Industrial Downstream Processing of Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring.

Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections,  where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally.

This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come.

Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

PhD Student for viral vector purification, Penzberg Site (PTCG DSP Development)

About the Department
We are dedicated to bringing game-changing viral vector-based Gene therapies from early clinical supply to market, addressing the unmet clinical need of patients to cure diseases.

Our core mission is to develop safe, innovative, and effective therapies using cutting-edge technology across the entire value chain.

Within the Cell and Gene Therapies area of the Pharma division, our daily work is characterized by the drive to develop world-class rAAV manufacturing processes.

The Project
This PhD project, situated within Roche’s Pharmaceutical Cell & Gene Therapy unit, aims to address the challenges in developing safe and effective purification processes for gene therapies (GT) using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) as vectors.

The project is focusing on mixed-mode chromatographic technologies and their implementation into a robust, industrial purification process by understanding the dependencies on other purification steps, and impacting the GT’s quality, safety, and efficacy.

Your Responsibilities 


* Develop and implement purification technologies that enhance manufacturing processes for viral vectors, with a focus on rAAVs by using robotic and benchtop systems.


* Identify, characterize, and fully understand novel technologies related to mixed-mode chromatographic techniques for viral vector purification.


* Develop strategies to improve overall process productivity and ensure manufacturability.


* Proactively execute projects with internal and external partners and develop your own ideas.

Support laboratory and pilot plant work through the transfer of practical skills and collaboration with technicians.

Supervise students supporting the project.


* Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences to contribute to the scientific community and enhance the organization's visibility.

Your Profile 


* You hold a Master Degree excellent qualifications in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or a related field, coupled with experience in the downstream processing and analytics 


* Ideally, you have some experience in the field of virus vector technologies or therapeutic proteins, including small-scale production and process development.


* You are highly motivated and are willing to work on challenging projects in a continuously progressing field, also requiring detailed in...