One Day, One Job » biotechnology

Compendia Bioscience

Willy Franzen — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:44:32 +0000

It’s not big surprise that jobs are constantly in the news these days. That’s part of the reason Jason Seiden and I launched our course. People need help finding and landing jobs. People in the news have picked up on the need, and now it’s newsworthy if a company is hiring. Take this article from mlive.com’s Michigan Business Innovation Blog – it’s about who’s hiring in Ann Arbor. That’s obviously of interest to me, since so many of you are at both University of Michigan and Michigan State (as well as other great Michigan schools). There were some pretty interesting names on that list, and one that stood out to me was Compendia Bioscience. They’re Biotech meets Software, and they’re also part of the future of Michigan.

Curing Cancer

There are a lot of people in this world whose lives have been ravaged by cancer. In turn, there are a lot of people who have made it their life goals to cure cancer. Although we haven’t come up with an outright cure yet, it’s amazing how much progress we’ve made in treating many types of cancer. When I think about curing cancer, I always think about medical doctors. That’s shortsighted of me, because there are all kind of people working on beating cancer that haven’t been to medical school. That’s what Compendia Bioscience is all about. Their mission is to “Harness the global collection of genomic data to change the practice of medicine.” Yes, they have MDs on their staff, but they’re using the power of software to help those on the frontlines of oncology. It’s kind of hard to believe that with the same skillset you could work at a Web 2.0 startup that allows you turn your friends into virtual zombies or you could be working towards a cure for cancer. Don’t get me wrong, I love Web 2.0 startups, but sometimes you need to aim for a higher calling. Right now Compendia has job openings in Bioinformatics Analytics, Project Management, and Software Development. It’s hard for me to say which of these jobs are best suited for new grads, but I’m sure you can gain a better idea by looking at the job descriptions on Compendia’s Jobs page. To apply for any of the jobs, send a cover letter and resume to careers2009@compendiabio.com. Here’s a little more information from Compendia’s MPowered Entrepreneurship Fair profile.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Compendia Bioscience?

Epic Systems

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:17:17 +0000

My Dad is an architect, and he often likes to send me suggestions on which companies I should feature next. Sometimes he finds some pretty cool stuff, and a month or so ago he sent me a link to the Winter 2009 online issue of HQ Magazine, which features an article called “Top 20 Places to Work.” Usually such lists focus on a range of reasons for a place’s being great to work at, but HQ is an architectural publication, so this list is all about office space (not the movie). The section of the article on Epic Systems says: “Epic’s campus fits into idyllic pastures and farmland, providing serene, relaxing views from within. Outside are hiking trails, playing fields, a treehouse. Meeting rooms have working fireplaces to further the sense of calmness.” It sounds amazing. Epic systems is a Wisconsin based, privately held, employee owned healthcare software provider.

Epicly Helpful

Epic Systems only has 170 clients, but “they are some of the most respected organizations in healthcare.” Epic’s software apparently makes the patient experience a lot better, but until it makes waiting rooms obsolete, I’m not quite sold. Basically, what Epic’s software does is that it records every touch that a patient has with a healthcare provider. The information is kept securely, but in a way that allows patients to access it when they need it. Epic Systems provides a product that keeps doctors, nurses, and patients fully informed about what’s going on. We all know that the healthcare industry is a mess, but it’s also growing rapidly. Epic Systems seems to be taking advantage of this environment by making a product that makes healthcare better for all parties involved.

Here’s a sample situation from Epic’s website:

Imagine this: you’re from Dallas, but you’re on vacation in Seattle. Shortly after trying some of the free samples at the fish market, you come down with something nasty and end up in the Emergency Room. You can’t remember the names of the medications you’re taking at home, but you mention to the doctor that you’re normally seen at Black Springs Clinic in the Dallas area. The doctor in the ER is able to access your chart from the clinic without the need to place a call or retrieve a fax. Your ER doctor sees not only the specific medications and doses you were last prescribed at home, but also that you’re allergic to Iodine, preventing a potentially severe reaction during your care.

You get back on your feet after a few hours in the ER and are given a couple medications and a recommendation to see your doctor at home once you’re back from vacation. While still in Seattle, you pull out your laptop and are able to send a secure message to your physician in Dallas, letting him know briefly what happened. You also sign up for a follow-up appointment for when you return. When you arrive, your doctor has access to your clinic chart, as well as the information documented during your visit to the ER in Seattle.

Sounds pretty great.

Do Something Epic

Epic may have only made the list of Top Places to Work because of their building, but they look like they belong on any general list of the best places to work. Their Careers site is loaded with information – especially the Life and Work section. We could go on and on about how cool it looks to work at Epic, but you’re better off checking it out on your own (start by taking a tour of their campus). Epic allows you to browse their jobs by both Career Type and Educational Background; however, I prefer to look at their listing of all available positions. The jobs are insanely easy to scan for entry level positions, so there’s no need for me to list them here, and you can apply online. Although they are a software company, they have job openings in areas that include Accounting, Biotechnology, Botany, Consulting, HR, IT, Project Management, Writing, and, of course, Software Development.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Epic’s Campus.

Keystone Strategy

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:17:52 +0000

You’re sitting in class listening to your professor go on and on about how he’s so much smarter than the CEO of some company and how if he was in charge he’d do this and that, when you say to the kid sitting next to you, “If he’s so smart, why is he standing here lecturing instead of making bank in an executive level job at some company?” That’s a really good question. College professors are supposed to be the best minds in their respective fields, but they often eschew a big pay day for the safety of academia – hey, the hours are great. The folks at Keystone Strategy consider this a waste of resources, so they’ve put some of the top professors from Harvard Business School to work as expert advisors for their consulting firm.

Despite the Name, They’re Not Located in Pennsylvania

We’re not sure where the name came from, but Keystone Strategy is headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices in Boston and Salt Lake City. They are an international strategy consulting firm that specializes in Aerospace, Biotech and Pharmaceuticals, and Technology. Their Job Openings page doesn’t specifically identify positions that are available, but it does have a long list of requirements for applicants. We have seen job postings for Analyst and Consultant positions at Keystone, but we’re not sure which of these are geared towards new grads at the entry-level. Their standards are extremely high, but there’s barely a mention of prior work experience. It seems like they’re more interested in getting the smartest people they can. Our favorite of their 6 qualifications that applicants should cover in their cover letters is “The Pittsburgh Airport Test: Something that gives us confidence that we wouldn’t hate being stuck with you in the Pittsburgh airport for more than six hours.” Yes, they have specific requirements for cover letters, so make sure you read them over before you send your resume to careers@keystonestrategy.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Sorry for the short post today, but I’m getting on a boat to float down the river. Happy job searching!

New York Structural Biology Center

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:53:45 +0000

When I was in college, the only studying of proteins that I did was in a class called Intro to Meat Science. Don’t believe me? Here’s the course listing. Learning how meat proteins react to salt or heat is extremely useful (and delicious) but not at all relevant to the non-profit organization that we’re featuring today (or if it is, I’ll be shocked). Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about biomedical research or cell biophysics, so all I can do is tell you a little bit about the New York Structural Biology Center and the entry-level jobs that they’re offering for new grads.

I Love Membrane Proteins Structure

If you own a t-shirt with the above saying, then the New York Structural Biology Center should be a great fit for you. The Center’s research goals are based around “understanding of the role that proteins play in disease pathways” and “[carrying] out advanced biomedical research in a number of areas including the new fields of structural genomics.” The NYSBC is the core facility of the New York Consortium on Membrane Proteins Structure, which consists of laboratories in and around New York City that are working together to “determine the structures of integral membrane proteins using high throughput methodologies.” The NYSBC is governed by a Board of representatives from the ten institutional members: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, City University of New York, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York University, The Rockefeller University, Wadsworth Center of the Department of Health, the Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University (Go Big Red!), and the State University of New York. It appears that the NYSBC is making significant progress, and the successes seem to be enabling them to expand by hiring new people and beginning new projects.

Entry-Level Is a Broad Term

We have a love-hate relationship with the term “entry-level.” It’s the only way to consistently identify job opportunities for new college grads, but the definition is way too broad to actually be useful. The jobs that the New York Structural Biology Center are listed as entry-level, and they are definitely directed at new college grads, but there is no way that most college kids would qualify. The job title is Technician, and there are 2 openings. Applicants are expected to have majored in Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Previous experience in a laboratory research setting will also be a major advantage, although it’s not required. Tasks that NYSBC Technicians are expected to work on include: preparation of buffers and bacteriological media, growth and harvesting of bacteria cultures, basic molecular biology, and routine laboratory maintenance. You can apply by sending your cover letter and resume to Brian Kloss, Ph.D. at bkloss@nysbc.org.

Sorry for all the quotes today, but I’m going to stick with my steak cooking skills. This stuff is way over my head, but if it’s in your realm, please share any insight that you have in the comments. Hopefully we gave you enough to get you started on your own research of jobs at the New York Structural Biology Center.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

See those 3 big buttons on the top of the web page? Yeah, scroll up! When you click those, you directly boost our egos. Go do it. Now.

Animal Replacement Technologies

Willy Franzen — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:00:12 +0000

Surgery takes practice. You can’t jump elbows deep into someone’s chest cavity and reroute traffic without having perfected the motor skills, knowledge, and composure required to do so. The problem is that practicing surgery is tricky. You need to do it on a living, breathing thing for it to be realistic. There aren’t too many people who are jumping at the opportunity to be cut up by aspiring surgeons, so that leaves only one viable option. Sadly, animals are used as proxies for human patients. Anyone would agree that this is an undesirable outcome, but there has been no other way to teach life saving procedures and develop new surgical techniques. The good news is that Sarasota, FL based Animal Replacement Technologies has created a brilliant solution.

We don’t have a lot to go on with Animal Replacement Technologies, but we thought that their story was intriguing enough to merit a post. They have engineered synthetic human tissues, organs, and body parts that mimic their living counterparts. Amazingly, these “body copies” are made of mostly salt, water, and fibers. Not only do these technologies save animals from the fate of being test subjects, but they also ” provide industry with the tools required to improve test data integrity, enhance device safety, shorten the development cycle, reduce time to market, minimize risk, and increase profits.” For a full overview of the company, you might want to read this article about Animal Replacement Technologies in Biz941. You should probably look at Animal Replacement Technologies’ own literature too. We’re totally over our head when it comes to the science behind these products, but we’re pretty sure that there are a lot of soon to be grads who would find it thrilling to be a part of this kind of project.

For students who have a deep interest in medical research, biological sciences, or materials engineering, a job at Animal Replacement Technologies would be a home run. They don’t have a Careers page, nor do they have any job openings listed online; however, their About page does invite interested applicants to send a resume to info@anireptec.com. Try cold calling (Edit: Animal Replacement Technologies founder Dr. Christopher Sakezles left a comment asking you not to cold call on the phone, but said that submitting a resume online is fine), and swing for the fences, even if it’s a low probability play. Maybe you can convince them that as a new college graduate, you’re just what they need and that they should create an entry-level position just for you

Disclaimer: When researching Animal Replacement Technologies, don’t click any of the links to videos (.mpg) on their site, especially if you’re using a Mac with Safari. Doing so froze our computer three times for some reason that we can’t figure out. The things we go through to bring you a new job every day…

Note: On April 25th we revisited entry-level jobs at Animal Replacement Technologies.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Know anything about jobs at Animal Replacement Technologies? Leave a comment.

23andMe

Willy Franzen — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:00:29 +0000

Most of our readers are high achievers, right? A lot has gone into getting you to this point. Hard work. Great parenting. Good genes. You can argue about it like Mortimer and Randolph Duke in Trading Places, but you’ll never know which of these (or other) factors is truly driving your personal successes – or will you? Today’s company hasn’t figured out the answer to that question yet, but they’re well on their way.

23andMe is a web-based biotechnology firm that specializes in providing personal genetic information. The name 23andMe refers to the 23 pairs of chromosomes that make up each individual’s genome. To clarify what they do: you spit in a cup, send it to them, and for one grand they tell you what your DNA says. That price is probably shocking to many of you – to some it’s an exorbitant amount, and for others it seems like a bargain. You also may be torn on whether this service is the kind of thing you’d ever be interested. Some people want to know all the answers, while others enjoy the mystery of life. Well, for those who don’t need mystery, 23andMe’s reports include four sections: Gene Journal, Ancestry , Family Inheritance, and Genome Labs.

23andMe is the type of company that could instantly blow up, or it might take 10 years for people to get it. If it’s any indication, Wired has named 23andMe one of 10 Startups Worth Watching in 2008. Maybe we’ll be hearing about celebs getting their genes mapped and everyone will have to follow the trend. Either way, getting in at the early stages of a company like this offers the opportunity for an unparalleled experience. If you’re in for the excitement, here’s 23andMe’s job offerings from the three areas of their company: Engineering, Science, and Operations.

Currently they have 2 openings that might intrigue new college grads. In Engineering they are hiring two Web Application Software Engineers. The job description says that they want 2-4 years experience, but then encourages new grads to apply (why would a company do that?). There is also a Science Writer job available that doesn’t require any previous experience. This position looks especially cool, because it requires both extensive technical knowledge and serious writing ability. It’s not for the average college grad, but like we said before, our readers are an especially talented group.

23andMe has a number of other positions that require 2-4 years experience, but those jobs don’t encourage new grads to apply, so we’d assume they’re not appropriate for entry-level job seekers. There are also some great positions for graduates of PhD programs. If you don’t have experience or a PhD, but want to work at 23andMe, do some more research and fill out their General Application.

Note: On April 23rd we revisited entry-level jobs at 23andMe.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Don’t worry, 23andMe won’t check your genes as part of the interview process.