Molecular Biology/Plasmid Constructs Co-Op

Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, T-cell receptor (TCR-T), and natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy. From our three R&D sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting-edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.

 

Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autolecuel (cilta-cel). Our strategic partnership is designed to combine the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of an immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

 

Legend Biotech is seeking a Molecular Biology/Plasmid Constructs Co-Op as part of the R&D team based in Philadelphia, PA.

Role Overview

Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse range of technology platforms, including autologous and allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T), T-cell receptor (TCR-T), and natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies. From our global R&D sites, we leverage innovative technologies to advance the discovery and development of safe, effective, and cutting-edge therapies for patients worldwide.

Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel). This strategic partnership combines the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of immunotherapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

The Philadelphia R&D site continues to expand its research capabilities, including growing capacity to support in-vivo CAR-T discovery and vector biology research, spanning early process development and platform optimization, to advance next-generation cell and gene therapy innovation.

The Molecular Biology team within the Vector Biology group at Legend Biotech’s Philadelphia R&D facility is seeking a motivated Molecular Biology Co-Op who is currently pursuing a Master’s or PhD degree in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biotechnology, or a related life science discipline.

The Co-Op will support lentiviral vector (LVV) design, plasmid construction, and functional evaluation to advance in-vivo CAR-T programs. This role provides hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques, viral vector technologies, and mammalian cell engineering in a collaborative industry research environment.

Co-Op Duration: 6-month (Summer to Fall) with possible extension.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with plasmid cloning workflows, including PCR, restriction digestion, ligation, bacterial transformation, and plasmid preparation.
• Support viral vector plasmid and helper plasmid construction for gene expression and vector development studies.
• Confirm plasmid constructs through restriction digest analysis and sequencing review.
• Maintain accurate plasmid records, including sequence files, plasmid maps, inventory tracking, and documentation.
• Perform mammalian cell culture and transient transfection under BSL-2 conditions.
• Support small-scale lentiviral vector production and preparation of samples for downstream characterization.
• Assist with molecular and cellular assays used to evaluate vector performance, such as qPCR/ddPCR, ELISA, Western blot, and flow cytometry.
• Document experimental procedures and results in electronic lab notebooks in accordance with company policies and laboratory standards.
• Follow BSL-2 biosafety practices and maintain compliance with laboratory safety guidelines.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Master’s or PhD degree in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Virology, Biotechnology, or a related life science discipline.
• Hands-on experience with molecular cloning, plasmid preparation, PCR, or DNA assembly methods.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and tran