Scientist-Senior Scientist-B Cell Biology & Immunology

Prellis Biologics; Berkeley (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) plan

Stock-based incentives

Holiday shutdown

Flexible work model

Job summary

Prellis Biologics in Berkeley, CA seeks a Scientist – B Cell Biology & Immunology to advance our in vitro immune system platform, including lymph node organoid technologies, and to develop functional assays for antibody discovery.

You will lead experimental design and collaborate across biology, engineering, and data science to push therapeutic candidates toward preclinical studies.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology or related field.
• 5+ years of relevant laboratory experience in immunology/cell biology; industry preferred.
• Strong hands-on experience with flow cytometry, panel design, staining, acquisition, analysis, and sorting.
• Experience with ELISA and basic protein-analysis techniques.
• Ability to design and troubleshoot experiments and work independently in a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, optimize, and analyze complex cell-based experiments.
• Develop and implement in vitro immune-cell culture and stimulation strategies.
• Work hands-on in the laboratory ~60–80% of time.
• Troubleshoot experimental challenges and improve protocols/workflows.
• Analyze data including immunological populations, sequencing data, and antibody characteristics to identify donors with high potential.

Skills

B cell biology

Immunology

primary immune-cell culture

flow cytometry

data analysis

experimental design

troubleshooting

bead-based separation

Education

PhD in Immunology

Tools

Flow cytometry

ELISA

Bead-based separation

mRNA sequencing

TCR sequencing

Job description

Prellis Biologics is a dynamic biotechnology company developing next-generation technologies to harness the full potential of the human immune system for therapeutic discovery and development. Our platform combines advanced in vitro immune systems, lymph node organoids, and innovative screening technologies to accelerate the discovery of therapeutic antibodies.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and hands‑on Scientist – B Cell Biology & Immunology to join our interdisciplinary research team. The successful candidate will play an important role in developing and optimizing our in vitro immune system platform, including lymph node organoid‑based technologies, and in developing functional assays to support antibody discovery.

This position is ideal for a scientist with strong expertise in B cell biology, antibody discovery, primary immune‑cell culture, flow cytometry, and cell‑based assay development who enjoys working in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative startup environment. The Scientist will have significant responsibility for experimental design, execution, data analysis, troubleshooting, and development of new experimental approaches.

Key Responsibilities

Experimental Design and Execution

• Design, execute, optimize, and analyze complex cell‑based experiments to address key research objectives.
• Develop and implement innovative in vitro immune‑cell culture and stimulation strategies.
• Work hands‑on in the laboratory, typically spending approximately 60–80% of time conducting experiments.
• Troubleshoot experimental challenges and continuously improve experimental protocols and workflows.
• Independently analyze and evaluate data including but not limited to immunological population dynamics, mRNA seq data, BCR sequence data, TCR sequence data, as well as monoclonal antibody characteristics to identify human blood donors with high potential of success in Prellis’ ex vivo immunization system.

Immune Cell Biology

• Isolate, culture, expand, and characterize primary human immune cells using appropriate aseptic techniques.
• Work with B cells, T cells, antigen‑presenting cells, and other relevant immune‑cell populations.
• Contribute to the development and optimization of in vitro immune system platforms.
• Analyze baseline immune‑cell profiles to predict inducible immune responses and identify donors with high potential for successful ex vivo immune stimulation.
• Investigate immune‑cell activation, proliferation, differentiation, cell‑cell interactions, and ligand‑receptor signaling.

Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting

• Design and execute multiparameter flow cytometry experiments for comprehensive immune‑cell profiling, including characterization of immune‑cell subsets, activation states, differentiation, and functional phenotypes.
• Develop flow cytometry panels, perform staining and acquisition, and analyze complex datasets.
• Perform fluorescence‑activated cell sorting for antigen‑specific and functionally defined immune‑cell populations.
• Utilize cell separation and enrichment approaches, including bead‑based methods, where appropriate.

Immune Functional Assay Development

• Develop, optimize, and execute cell‑based functional assays for antibody and TCR discovery.
• Develop assays to evaluate antigen‑specific B‑ and T‑cell responses.
• Develop and optimize ELISA and other protein‑based assays, as well as cell‑based and functional screening approaches.
• Contribute to assay development for challenging therapeutic targets, including membrane proteins and other complex antigens.

Antibody Discovery

• Contribute to antibody discovery and characterization programs using in vitro immune‑system technologies.
• Support the identification and characterization of antigen‑specific B cells, antibody‑secreting cells, and functional antibodies.
• Work closely with scientists in antibody engineering, protein engineering, bioinformatics, and other disciplines to advance therapeutic candidates.

Data Analysis and Scientific Communication

• Analyze, interpret, and present experimental results at internal project meetings and research reviews.
• Maintain accurate, detailed, and traceable experimental records. Prepare reports, protocols, and other scientific documentation.
• Use tools such as FlowJo and GraphPad Prism for analysis and visualization of experimental data.
• Communicate scientific findings clearly and contribute to project planning and experimental strategy.

Collaboration and Laboratory Operations

• Collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams to achieve project goals and share technical expertise.
• Support development, refinement, and implementation of laboratory protocols and SOPs.
• Maintain a high standard of experimental rigor, laboratory organization, and documentation.
• Comply with established laboratory procedures, safety requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology, or a related scientific discipline
• 5+ years of relevant laboratory experience in immunology, cell biology, or a related field; industry experience is preferred.
• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of adaptive immunity, particularly B‑cell biology and antibody discovery.
• Demonstrated experience with primary immune‑cell isolation, culture, and in vitro stimulation.
• Strong hands‑on experience with flow cytometry, including panel design, staining, acquisition, analysis, and cell sorting.
• Experience with ELISA and basic protein‑analysis techniques.
• Strong experimental design, troubleshooting, data interpretation, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to scientific rigor.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with B‑cell activation, expansion, differentiation, or antibody secretion.
• Experience in antibody discovery, antibody engineering, vaccine development, or therapeutic drug discovery.
• Familiarity with cell‑based screening and high‑throughput screening platforms.
• Experience with bead‑based cell separation or magnetic enrichment.
• Familiarity with molecular biology techniques.
• Background in protein or sequence bioinformatics.
• Knowledge of immune tolerance, systems immunology, or immune‑cell signaling.
• Experience working with complex or difficult‑to‑assay therapeutic targets.
• Experience with project planning or management.

About Prellis Biologics

At Prellis we integrate human biology with machine learning. We aim to revolutionize drug discovery by harnessing the power of the human immune system with tightly integrated machine learning to develop next‑generation antibody therapeutics with unparalleled speed, precision, and safety. We are committed to empowering our pharmaceutical partners with access to the most promising fully human antibody candidates rapidly identified from the human immune repertoire, enabling them to bring life‑changing treatments to patients faster than ever before. Prellis Biologics is a pre‑IPO biotech located in Berkeley, CA with a team‑oriented, inclusive, and family‑friendly culture. Our growing pipeline targets high unmet patient needs across therapeutic areas including metabolic disease, inflammation, and oncology. Prellis has raised funding from top investors, including Celesta, Khosla Ventures, SOSV, and Avidity Partners.

What You Can Expect Of Us

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well‑being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way.

Actual salary will vary based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

In addition to the base salary, Prellis offers compelling benefits based on eligibility, comprising health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save toward retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include:

• A competitive employee benefits package, including group medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan
• Stock‑based long‑term incentives
• Holiday package including a 1+ week winter shutdown
• Flexible work models, including remote and hybrid working arrangements, where possible

Application Deadline

Prellis does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

Prellis Bio is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be at the foundation of our culture. We work hard to bring together diverse teams — grounded in a wide range of expertise and life experiences — and work even harder to ensure those teams thrive in inclusive, growth‑oriented environments supported by equitable company and team practices. All candidates can expect equitable treatment, respect, and fairness throughout the interview process.