Gregor Schmidt

Lab Automation Scientist & Robotics Expert

Basel, Basel, Switzerland

About

I am a laboratory automation scientist and bioengineer that enjoys working in a team with people from various backgrounds. I care about a good team atmosphere, which I achieve through careful communication and open-mindedness towards different views and opinions. I am a teamplayer and I enjoy working towards clearly defined goals. My broad background helps me to quickly grasp new concepts and bridge gaps between research fields. I have profound knowledge in lab automation, molecular biology, live-cell imaging and microfluidics and a strong motivation to learn new techniques to combine with my existing skill set. I go the extra mile to find the best solution for a given task.

Experience

  • Lab Automation Scientist at Roche
    Nov 2024 - Present · 1 yr 8 mos

    Lab automation scientist for central scientific support unit (360Labs) within Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED). Developing automated platforms & workflows for next generation sequencing (NGS), flow cytometry & proteomics/metabolomics.

  • Lab Automation Scientist & Robotics Expert at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)
    Jan 2023 - Oct 2024 · 1 yr 10 mos

    Managing complex Beckman FXP & i-series / Tecan EVO automation platforms for molecular biology, cell culture and high throughput ELISA for antibody discovery. Plan, design & build of new automation platforms. Writing documentation and training users to enable independent usage of automation infrastructure. Organizing time-efficient maintenance of automation platforms.

  • ETH Zürich (10 yrs 5 mos)
    • Lab Automation Scientist
      May 2018 - Jan 2023 · 4 yrs 9 mos

      Managing fleet of six large automation platforms from Hamilton and Tecan, in addition to 10+ smaller automated systems, including small pipetting robots and automated microscopes & readers. Developing and maintaining scheduled workflows for large automation systems, and responsible for the future development (hardware and software) of the Lab Automation Facility. Development of automated workflows for molecular cloning, drug testing, library screening, cell culture and more. Teaching master student practical course in laboratory automation.

    • PhD Candidate
      Sep 2012 - Apr 2018 · 5 yrs 8 mos

      Development of microfluidic devices and optimized microscopy setups for long-term imaging of live cells. Supervisor: Prof. Andreas Hierlemann

    • Microscopy Specialist
      Mar 2017 - Aug 2017 · 6 mos

      User support, training and maintenance of widefield and confocal microscopes.

  • Research Assistant at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
    Aug 2011 - Apr 2012 · 9 mos

    I worked on several aspects of the biosynthesis and storage of cocaine in Erythroxylum coca as well as tropane alkaloids in Australian Erythroxylum species. The project included a one month research stay at my collaborator Dr. Sven Delaney at the University of New South Wales in Sydney (Australia). Supervisor: Prof. John D'Auria, Prof. Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Research Assistant at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
    Oct 2007 - Feb 2011 · 3 yrs 5 mos

    I investigated the role of BAHD acyltransferases in the biosynthesis of cocaine in Erythroxylum coca. The work included screening of a cDNA library, cloning and expression of candidate genes as well as testing for their enzymatic activities. The identified enzymes were subsequently characterized and the work resulted in my diploma thesis "Cocaine synthase: Biochemical and molecular characterization. " Supervisor: Prof. John D'Auria, Prof. Jonathan Gershenzon