Co-Op, Process Development

Who is BlueRock? BlueRock Therapeutics LP is a clinical stage cell therapy harnessing the power of cell therapy to create a pipeline of new medicines for people suffering from neurological and ophthalmic diseases. Two of our novel investigational cell therapies, bemdaneprocel (BRT-DA01) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and OpCT-001 for the treatment of primary photoreceptor diseases are clinical stage programs. BlueRock was founded in 2016 as a joint venture of Versant Ventures and Leaps by Bayer. Our culture is defined by the courage to persist regardless of the challenge, the urgency to transform medicine and deliver hope, integrity guided by mission, and community-mindedness with the understanding that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. What Are We Doing? Our foundational science harnesses the ability to create and then direct the differentiation of universal pluripotent stem cells into authentic, functional cells that can be used as allogeneic cellular therapies to treat a broad array of diseases. We can also further engineer these cells, enabling them to produce enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins for additional therapeutic benefit. We are passionate about delivering on the promise of cellular and gene therapy, shaping the future of cellular medicine, and delivering new therapies to millions of patients with treatment options. We are seeking individuals who are collaborative, thrive in a fun and dynamic culture, and are steadfast in the commitment to advance cutting-edge cellular therapies to impact patients’ lives. BlueRock Therapeutics is currently accepting applications for a highly motivated individual for a minimum eight (8) months co-op assignment in the Process Development Department from May 2026 with preferable extension to end of April 2027, twelve (12) months total.  The primary purpose of this position is to participate and assist in pluripotent stem cell therapy manufacturing processes, characterization, and invitro differentiation bioprocesses. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to involve in cutting edge cell therapy projects and gain experience with cutting edge technologies. This is an advanced laboratory bench position, and the successful candidate will have a well-developed scientific aptitude and an enthusiasm for hands-on laboratory work with methodologies include adherent and suspension cell culture, bioreactors, harvest, and analytical techniques e.g. flow cytometry and potentially other cell-based assays.  Responsibilities

Participate in execution of experiments according to experimental schedules in a timely and accurate manner

Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and experimental planning documents

Collect and prepare data in a timely and accurate manner in accordance with the company quality management system such as electronic lab notebooks.

Analyze data and prepare plots, study protocols, slide decks, technical reports, and other scientific documents as necessary. 

Maintain inventory and stock lab consumables; participate in general lab activities as necessary.

Qualifications & Requirements

Must be 18 years of age by the start of the internship/co-op.  

Currently enrolled in undergraduate degree (BA/BS) or MS in Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biomedical, Biotechnology, Biology or related field of study.

Preferred: previous co‑op/internship in a wet‑lab or process development setting.

Must have transportation to the BlueRock Therapeutics site in downtown Toronto, ON, CA.  

This position is intended to be on-site (always in office/lab), and candidates will be informed should anything change.

Excellent organizational skills, sufficient to multi-task and be productive in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities, attention to detail and meticulous bench work. 

Self-motivated and willing to accept temporary responsibilities outside of the initial job description. 

Competency in computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). 

Must be a team player and have strong oral and written communication skills.

Ability to work independently and in a group. 

Knowledge and working experience with one or more of the followings will be highly valued:

Experience in aseptic technique with mammalian cell culture and/or human pluripotent stem cells

Experience with cell characterization technologies including light microscopy, metabolite analysis, cell counting, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence

Experience with bioreactors and/or suspension cell cultures

Experience in organizing and mining a large pool of experimental data

Experience with statistical analysis software