Master Thesis Project: Protein Production

About the project

BioArctic is offering a Master Thesis project focusing on the development and optimization of a scalable transient CHO cell transfection platform for recombinant antibody production.

Recombinant antibodies are an important class of therapeutic molecules, and increasingly complex antibody formats create new challenges for efficient and reproducible protein production. A robust expression platform that can be applied across different antibody formats and production scales is therefore an important part of antibody discovery and development.

The aim of this Master Thesis project is to develop and establish a robust and scalable transient CHO cell transfection workflow, covering culture volumes from small-scale screening in multi-well plates to 2–5 L production scale.

What you will do

During the project, you will work hands-on with mammalian cell culture, transient transfection and antibody production. You will optimize key parameters affecting protein expression, and evaluate how well the process translates across different culture scales.

The work will include:

• Optimization of transient transfection conditions in CHO cells

• Expression of conventional IgG and more complex antibody formats, including multispecific antibodies

• Scale-up from multi-well plate format to larger culture volumes of up to 2–5 L

• Evaluation of expression levels and reproducibility

• Protein A-based purification of expressed antibodies

• Protein characterization to assess product purity and antibody assembly

• Documentation and evaluation of the optimized workflow

Depending on the scope and duration of the thesis, the project may also include Design of Experiments (DoE) approaches and optimization of antibody chain ratios.

The overall goal is to establish a standardized, robust and scalable transfection protocol that can support antibody production from early small-scale screening to larger-scale protein production.

Who are you?

We are looking for a motivated Master’s student with a strong interest in biotechnology, protein science and biopharmaceutical research.

You are currently studying a Master’s program in Biotechnology, Molecular biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Chemical engineering or bioprocessing, Protein or antibody engineering, or a related life-science discipline.

Prior experience of laboratory work is highly valued. Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture, recombinant protein expression, protein purification or protein characterization is advantageous but not required.

We value a student who is curious, eager to learn and comfortable working experimentally in the laboratory. You take responsibility for your work and have a structured and careful approach to experimental work and documentation. You should enjoy solving problems, interpreting experimental results and working both independently and together with experienced scientists.

About the thesis

The project is suitable for a Master Thesis or equivalent degree project of at least 30 ECTS credits, corresponding to one academic semester or longer, depending on the requirements of the university program. The preferred start date for the project is 18 January 2027.

The thesis work will be conducted out at BioArctic in Stockholm, where you will work closely with scientists experienced in protein expression, antibody engineering and protein characterization.

About BioArctic

BioArctic AB (publ) is a Swedish research-based biopharma company focusing on innovative treatments that can delay or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The company invented Leqembi® (lecanemab) – the world's first drug proven to slow the progression of the disease and reduce cognitive impairment in early Alzheimer's disease. Leqembi has been developed together with BioArctic’s partner Eisai, who are responsible for regulatory interactions and commercialization globally. In addition to Leqembi, BioArctic has a broad research portfolio with antibodies against Parkinson's disease and ALS as well as additional projects against Alzheimer's disease. Several of the projects utilize the company's proprietary BrainTransporter™ technology, which has the potential to actively transport therapies across the blood-brain barrier to enhance the efficacy of the treatment. BioArctic's B share (BIOA B) is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap. BioArctic’s head office is located in Stockholm Sweden, and the company has more than 150 employees. For further information, please visit www.bioarctic.com.

As a Master Thesis student, you will have the opportunity to work in an industrial research environment and gain hands-on experience with technologies and workflows relevant to modern antibody discovery and biopharmaceutical development.

Application

Please submit your CV, relevant university transcripts and answer the questions in the application form before November 10th.