Discovery & Development
Technologies
Discovery & Development
Technologies
Who we are
EMD Serono is the North America biopharmaceutical business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany—a leading science and technology company. We aspire to create, improve and prolong life for people living with difficult-to treat conditions like multiple sclerosis, cancer and infertility.
Where we are
Located in the Greater Boston area, our Discovery & Development Technologies (DDTech) team is passionate about developing drugs for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases. We have strong expertise in three therapeutic modalities: small molecules, therapeutic antibodies and antibody drug conjugates.
Healthcare Pipeline
We’re imagining the future of healthcare by working to translate discovery into potentially meaningful outcomes for people with serious unmet medical needs. Click here to find out more about our Healthcare Pipeline.
Our People
Our people are courageous about advancing new science and passionate about delivering programs that make an impact on our communities. We strive for an inclusive and inspiring work environment, and year after year, our company achieves top survey results in terms of employee satisfaction and corporate culture.
We’re also growing our physical R&D footprint: Our new 160,000 square foot building is dedicated to the discovery of New Biological Entities and will be the fourth expansion of our campus in Billerica.
Find out more about joining a leading science and technology company.
“Working with my colleagues at the Boston R&D hub is so inspiring!
The drug hunting skills, the innovation, the energy and the cutting edge science all contribute to an extremely high level of productivity, which is in my mind second to none”.
Klaus Urbahns
Global Head of Discovery &
Development Technologies
EMD Serono Billerica Site Head
Why work for us
Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team means becoming part of a diverse, inclusive, and flexible working culture with great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.
Alongside our colleagues at Millipore Sigma and EMD Electronics, we've once again been named a "Top Place to Work" by the The Boston Globe in 2020. We also ranked #9 in the 2021 "Top Employers" survey conducted by Science Magazine.
What we do
We are Drug Hunters! With laboratories in Darmstadt, Tel Aviv, Boston, Guidonia, Ivrea and Japan, we work in close partnership with colleagues from the Therapeutic Innovation Platforms to deliver innovative and differentiated clinical drug candidates to our R&D pipeline.
What we do
Learn more about what we do and the kind of things you could be working on in each of our six departments
What we do
Comprising Structural Biology, Computational Chemistry & Biologics, and Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics (DMPK), our 3D department prides itself on deep expertise in each of these disciplines. We bring this expertise to bear in our discovery and development projects, from concept to Life Cycle Management.
Our global labs and extensive partner networks are leveraged by our expert scientists to provide and interpret ADME data critical to optimizing our drug candidates. Whether in vitro, in vivo or simulation, we seek out innovative and predictive systems. We also create and execute DMPK strategies for small molecules and biologics in clinical development.
From crystal structures to sophisticated NMR and calorimetry experiments to atomic resolution cryo-EM studies, we provide and leverage detailed molecular interaction data for our drugs. Our computational scientists provide expertise to shape libraries, platforms, and tools for effective drug discovery. From FEP to Machine Learning, we seek to advances our discovery programs for all modalities including NCEs, NBEs, ADCs, degraders, and beyond.
Meet our team
What we do
Our team provides pharmacologically relevant, robust, and decision-critical in vitro biophysical, biochemical, and cellular data in a timely and economical fashion. Our data are major contributors to the characterization of targets and selection of pharmacological tool molecules and clinical candidates.
We support the advancement of all discovery projects by evaluation and integration of modern screening technologies. We employ efficient state-of-the-art laboratory automation and compound logistics towards the selection of clinical candidates.
Meet our team
Turn your curiosity into action and learn more about the different type of roles within our Discovery Pharmacology (DiscoPharm) teams.
What we do
We design and synthesize new chemical entities that may become future therapies in neurology, immunology, and oncology. We support research projects from early stage (chemical biology-driven) to late stage (process chemistry-driven).
We deliver drug-like molecules by integrating our deep knowledge of synthetic organic chemistry with our practical familiarity with analytical chemistry, computational chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and structural biology. We leverage skills and strategies that enable us to deliver selective molecules for a multitude of target classes that are tailored to have mechanisms of action optimal for achieving the best balance of efficacy and tolerability.
Our team also uses state-of-the-art enabling technologies to design our molecules and execute our synthetic routes, including retrosynthetic software, in silico prediction software for toxicity and ADME properties, artificial intelligence platforms, flow chemistry, photochemistry, and electrochemistry.
Meet our team
Turn your curiosity into action and learn more about the different type of roles within our Medicinal Chemistry (MedChem) teams.
What we do
We are a hybrid group of cell culture, purification, analytical, and cell line development scientists tasked with assessing developability of candidates and feasibility of new designs. Our roles include evaluating behavior of new drug candidates in our upstream and downstream platform processes, developing novel solutions, and supplying high quality proteins to our project teams.
Members of our group are also responsible for developing initial methods of characterization for our candidate molecules to support decision making, troubleshooting, and identify potential liabilities.
Meet our team
Turn your curiosity into action and learn more about the different type of roles within our Protein and Cell Sciences (PCS) teams.
What we do
Our team leads the engineering of custom-made antibodies, bispecifics, complex antibody formats, and fusion proteins. This process often involves using state-of-the-art discovery technologies, functional screenings, microfluidics, and next generation sequencing. Meet our team
What we do
We oversee the drug substance and drug product development for small molecules and clinical supply for NCE and NBE, covering early discovery stages, clinical development until launch, and post marketing activities like maintenance and life cycle management.
Our work often involves performing highly sensitive analytics, leveraging robust, efficient, and compliant manufacturing processes, and developing drug delivery technologies and formulations.
Meet our team
Discovery Pharmacology Team
Su
Su joined EMD Serono with a background in high throughput siRNA screening and high content imaging. She was drawn to EMD Serono by the culture of openness and inclusiveness in science, and the enthusiasm shown by her fellow colleagues.
As part of a functional group, members of Discovery Pharmacology (DiscoPharm) have visibility across all programs as well as different functions within the organization, allowing them to keep learning as they contribute; another reason Su decided to be a part of DiscoPharm. Her current efforts include supporting both targeted and phenotypic programs. DiscoPharm, in close collaboration with TIP, MedChem, and 3D, supports various SAR enabling assays as well as target deconvolution efforts in phenotypic programs.
Brian
For almost three years, Brian has been serving as a Discovery Pharmacology representative on project teams and leading a mass spectrometry lab. He was attracted to EMD Serono because it provides an environment that truly appreciates and supports the real impact technology can deliver to drug discovery programs. He has enjoyed the opportunity to apply his scientific and technological background and interests in mass spectrometry-based global proteomics and chemoproteomics with cross-functional collaborations and connections across the global network.
Jesse
Jesse has spent the last three years at EMD Serono, leading the design, implementation, and support of a variety of innovative automation projects across the Billerica campus. More specific he implemented automated high throughput solutions for small molecule research on T-cells and centralization of compound logistic solutions.
In past roles, he has implemented GxP and non-GxP automated solutions to support small and large molecule bioanalysis, cell-based assays, diagnostic testing and manufacturing QC in the United States and Europe. Being a member of the Bioassay Automation and Compound Logistics Department, allows Jesse to be a part of a team with decades of lab automation experience where he can learn from the best. Because collaboration is in our DNA, he prides himself on being able to work across the organization to help other groups that lack automation expertise
Medicinal Chemistry Team
Lesley
Lesley joined EMD Serono with a PhD in chemistry and post-doctoral experience in the application of biocatalysts. She has since become an expert in medicinal chemistry, leading chemistry efforts from hit discovery to preclinical development.
Lesley is proud to have helped multiple drug candidates to development. In addition to doing chemistry, she utilizes her 15+ years of drug discovery experience when leading research projects in oncology & immuno-oncology. She is driven by her love for science, the satisfaction of problem solving with excellent scientists, and the opportunity to meet patients’ needs.
Reinaldo
Reinaldo joined EMD Serono in 2009 after 10+ years at multiple large pharma companies. He was an expert in organic chemistry & medicinal chemistry and further honed his drug hunter skills at EMD Serono.
Reinaldo has made significant contributions via target molecule design and novel syntheses of clinical candidates for oncology, immunology, and immuno-oncology projects . He also is the manager of the U.S. Process & Scale-up Chemistry Department and has an excellent track record of enabling the kilogram scale syntheses of several APIs for clinical development. Reinaldo is motivated daily by his passion for chemistry and drug discovery to help EMD Serono improve the lives of patients.
Protein Cell Sciences Team
Nhu-Thanh
Nhu-Thanh has been part of PCS for 4 years. Starting in the QC group as a Research Associate, she mastered several critical assays, HPLC activities, and supported the company with buffer/media. She made her way into upstream protein expression group where she quickly became the resident expert and trainer in transient transfections in small and large scales within the group in addition to protein expression and transfection in stable mammalian cell lines.
Now, she is an Associate Scientist currently working on a project towards automating the screening process of clones and minipools by using an internal interface and the Hamilton liquid handler. She has always been open in lending a hand in optimizing and putting work into improving old and new technology.
Phanindra
Phanindra (Phan) joined the Molecule Group in PCS in 2019 and brought with him expertise in purification of biologics from bacteria, yeast, CHO cells, along with a strong interest in protein structure and function. He also had gained significant experience in analytical characterization and formulation of biologics. Membrane proteins, difficult targets, nanobodies, and Fc-fusions are his forte, and no protein is too challenging.
A true team player, Phan is always ready to lend a hand or help analyze a problem. Recently, he has also begun work as a PCS project team rep, assisting other scientists with an intriguing new therapeutic concept.
Mike
Mike has been with PCS for 8 years. Starting in the QC group he mastered several critical assays and supported the company with buffer/media in addition to supporting critical HPLC activities. After several years, he made his way into downstream purification group where he quickly became the resident expert and trainer for fluorescent labeling and IMAC purifications within the group.
He embraces many challenges and can problem solve with a critical eye. His next project will be to automate the moderate-to-high throughput purifications of drug molecules and has stepped up to work on the Hamilton liquid handler. He has always shown interest in helping the group move forward with new technologies and never shied away from the work to get there.
Konrad
Konrad has achieved great things as an expression scientist in PCS. His expertise includes transient protein expression in mammalian, insect cells and bacterial hosts. Konrad’s focus is optimization of protein quality and yield by designing growth conditions and feed strategies. He also has significant experience with hybridoma and stable mammalian cell lines. Focused on developability of therapeutic candidates, Konrad has helped to structure the work package for evaluation of expression levels and host cell performance. His expertise, combined with a drive for continuous improvement, has more than doubled our transient expression yields since he joined.
His expertise is also recognized externally, and he has served as an expert panelist at in-person and virtual conferences. He has beta tested and evaluated numerous expression systems and technologies in collaboration with developers. Now, as Senior Scientist he brings his knowledge and experience to the forefront with automating small scale expression and with providing concept teams expression strategies for more complex molecules
Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies Team
Satyendra
If you are driven by your scientific curiosity for drug discovery, consider joining EMD Serono. Meet Satyendra, who came from the University of Illinois at Chicago to join antibody technology within protein engineering and antibody technology group to advance our in-house capability of antibody discovery using cutting edge technology, which includes microfluidics, next generation sequencing and computational biology.
Satyendra got the opportunity to work at the interface between drug discovery and immunology/immuno-oncology therapeutic areas. He has expanded his horizons thanks to opportunities at EMD Serono, where he is currently a manager, mentor and lead on an antibody-based drug discovery project and instrumental on initiating several exciting new projects to both advance technology and initiate new HD projects.
Shruti
Shruti joined EMD Serono as a Co-op during her master’s program at Northeastern University back in 2013. Right after her graduation, she secured a full-time position within Antibody Discovery team, in Billerica. Molecular biologist by passion, Shruti developed her skills in Single B-cell Technologies for Antibody Discovery and now leads a small sub-group delivering antibody hit candidates in early discovery phases that could potentially become lead molecules.
Shruti enjoys taking up challenges and has a keen eye for trouble shooting in her everyday work. Besides her own responsibilities, she loves mentoring her Co-ops and really appreciates working in a collaborative environment.
Drug Disposition & Design (3D) Team
Seema & Bob
Do you love a challenge? Then you’ll be in good company with Seema & Bob, who helped bring the world’s first bispecific Antibody Drug Conjugate to Phase I trials.
Seema developed deep bioanalytical expertise in her previous positions in pharma; when she joined EMD Serono she jumped at the chance to drive highly innovative projects forward as a recognized expert. Always looking for a challenge, she now leads a clinical bioanalytical sciences group and is a project representative.
Bob brought with him deep and wide pharma experience to EMD Serono. He loves working at interface between discovery and development, and his expertise is reflected in the number of marketed drugs that he has helped shape, from birth to launch. Between the two of them, they cover everything from DDI to Immunogenicity.
Mallory
Mallory joined EMD Serono fresh out of her degree at Yale University, and has since become an expert at developing highly sensitive and accurate clinical bioanalytical assays. And when she’s not in the lab making sure that our oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology and fertility drug programs are supported with the right PK and immunogenicity assays, she is bringing the Isobel Cup home to Boston as a professional hockey player and member of the Boston Pride.
Pharmaceutical Technologies
Jared
After wrapping up his PhD at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Jared was looking to apply his knowledge of protein formulation and stability to the development of innovative new drugs. He found such an opportunity at EMD Serono. Since joining in 2019, he has worked with international teams of scientists to develop novel biological molecules for oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology programs.
During this time, he expanded the capabilities of his US-based candidate screening and early formulation development laboratory by applying novel miniaturized screening-based methods. In addition, after teaching himself how to program in Python, he began automating lab-based workflows and found creative solutions to streamline formulation activities to bring life-saving therapies to patients faster.
Location
EMD Serono Research & Development Institute
45 Middlesex turnpike
Billerica, MA 01821
EMD Serono Building
Click here to learn more about our new WELL Certified Building.
Additional Company Information
For us, scientific progress and responsible entrepreneurship go hand in hand, enabling us to create a sustainable future for everyone.
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We respect diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that allows everyone to maximize their potential.
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More than half the world’s population still does not have adequate access to healthcare. That’s why we have made it a high priority to address this global health challenge.
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