Research Scientist - Antibody Discovery and Transfer

Elanco Tiergesundheit AG; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Parental leave

401K matching

Flexible work arrangements

Annual bonus

Job summary

Elanco Animal Health is seeking a Research Scientist to join the Discovery Research team, focusing on single-B-cell antibody discovery and immune library construction. You will drive end-to-end workflows, from antigen-specific B-cell isolation to sequencing and data interpretation, contributing to the early biologics pipeline.

The role requires a PhD with hands-on experience in single-B-cell sequencing, NGS library prep, and immune library strategies, with strong collaboration across

Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, or Biotechnology required; 0–3 years industrial Biologics discovery experience preferred.
• Hands-on experience with Single B-cell sequencing workflows and high-speed flow cytometry (FACS).
• Experience with NGS library prep and immune library construction.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end single-B-cell antibody discovery workflows from sample to sequencing data.
• Design and construct high-diversity immune libraries and monitor diversity via NGS.
• Manage panning/selection to isolate high-affinity binders across diverse repertoires.
• Collaborate with bioinformatics to integrate datasets and report findings.

Skills

Single B-cell sequencing

FACS

NGS library prep

Molecular cloning

Immune library construction

Education

PhD in Immunology or related

Tools

NGS platforms

Bioinformatics pipelines

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) - it all starts with animals! As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose - all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights. Making animals’ lives better makes life better - join our team today!

Elanco Animal Health is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Research Scientist to join our Discovery Research team. This role is specifically focused on leveraging advanced Single B-cell sequencing platforms and Immune Library construction to identify high-quality therapeutic antibody candidates for animal health. The successful candidate will be a technical expert in capturing and isolating the natural immune repertoire of diverse species through comprehensive NGS workflows to drive the earliest stages of our biologics pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

• Single B-cell Discovery Campaigns: Lead and execute end-to-end single-B-cell antibody discovery workflows, including immune-cell processing, FACS-based isolation of antigen-specific B cells, single-cell sequencing, and high-throughput molecular rescue of paired V-region sequences.
• Immune Library Strategy: Design and construct high-diversity immune libraries from immunized animals. Implement robust NGS workflows for library characterization, monitoring diversity, and tracking selection dynamics across display platforms.
• Panning & Selection: Manage complex panning and selection strategies using phage or yeast display to isolate rare, high-affinity binders from diverse immune repertoires.
• Molecular Rescue & Cloning: Utilize high-throughput RT-PCR, nested PCR, and specialized cloning techniques to rescue heavy and light chain variable regions from single cells.
• NGS Data Integration: Work closely with bioinformatics pipelines to integrate large-scale NGS datasets, enabling the rapid identification of novel antibody lineages and analyzing repertoire convergence.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Represent the antibody discovery group in cross-functional project teams communicating discovery screening strategy.
• Discovery Documentation: Maintain precise electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN) and present technical discovery data at internal research forums and stakeholder meetings.
• Evaluate and implement emerging antibody discovery technologies and workflows to improve throughput, repertoire diversity, functional screening, and discovery timelines.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, or Biotechnology with 0-3 years of relevant industrial experience in biologics discovery.
• Technical Expertise: Direct, hands‑on experience with Single B-cell sequencing workflows and high-speed flow cytometry (FACS).
• Expertise in NGS library preparation and associated molecular biology techniques.
• Experience in Immune Library construction and display technologies.
• Advanced proficiency in high-throughput PCR and molecular cloning.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8-week parental leave
• 9 Employee Resource Groups
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job-related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice. #LI-MW1

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ CSR framework - all to advance the health of animals, people and the planet. Learn more at www.elanco.com.