Sevillian Laboratories

About Sevillian Laboratories

Sevillian Laboratories is a New Jersey-based biotechnology startup developing rapid, affordable, colorimetric diagnostic technologies for food safety, food and beverage quality control, industrial testing, and biotechnology applications. As a small, early-stage company, we combine enzyme-based analytical chemistry, dry-format membrane technologies, and smartphone-compatible optical analysis to create field-deployable assays that simplify testing, reduce reliance on complex instrumentation, and provide fast, on-site results as an alternative to centralized laboratory analysis.

Our current flagship research program, supported through a New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program (IRFP) grant, focuses on development of the world's first rapid colorimetric test strip capable of detecting a specific foodborne bacterial toxin. Unlike conventional LC-MS/MS methods, our technology detects the toxin through its intrinsic activity using a novel enzyme cascade mechanism.

Position Summary

Sevillian Laboratories seeks an exceptionally motivated recent Ph.D. graduate (or Ph.D. candidate prepared to defend within three months) to join our multidisciplinary R&D team for a 2-year term as an Innovation Research Fellow.

The Fellow will lead biochemical development of a first-in-class enzyme-based detection platform for the toxin while working directly with a senior scientist in enzymology, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and diagnostic product development.

This position offers a rare opportunity to perform highly translational research that combines fundamental enzymology with commercialization, prototype development, intellectual property generation, and product validation.

Research Responsibilities

The Fellow will be expected to:

• Design, optimize, and characterize the enzyme cascade for toxin detection.
• Investigate enzyme kinetics, reaction mechanisms, cofactor optimization, and chromogenic signal amplification.
• Develop reagent stabilization strategies for dry-format membrane assays.
• Evaluate enzyme immobilization techniques and long-term storage stability.
• Characterize analytical sensitivity, specificity, linearity, reproducibility, and robustness.
• Investigate food matrix interferences and develop mitigation strategies.
• Design experiments using Design of Experiments (DoE) and appropriate statistical analyses.
• Compare prototype performance against LC-MS/MS reference methods.
• Assist with prototype manufacturing and technology transfer activities.
• Prepare technical reports supporting NSF SBIR milestones and future regulatory validation.
• Contribute to scientific publications, patent applications, and future grant proposals.

Preferred Research Background

Applicants should possess expertise in one or more of the following:

• Enzymology
• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Chemistry
• Food Chemistry
• Bioanalytical Chemistry
• Protein Engineering
• Enzyme Immobilization
• Biosensor Development
• Diagnostic Assay Development
• Colorimetric Detection Systems
• Spectrophotometry
• Food Safety Diagnostics

Experience with any of the following is highly desirable:

• Coupled enzyme assays
• Oxidoreductases
• Dehydrogenases
• Colorimetric dyes
• Cofactor dependent enzyme systems
• Dry chemistry platforms
• Point-of-care diagnostics
• Membrane-based assays
• Statistical experimental design
• Smartphone image analysis
• Quality systems or analytical method validation

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must:

• Hold a Ph.D. (received within the past 12 months) or be prepared to defend their dissertation within three months.
• Demonstrate excellence in biochemical research through a publication, presentation, or dissertation work.
• Possess strong experimental design and quantitative data analysis skills.
• Be interested in translating academic research into commercial products.
• Be authorized to work in the United States and satisfy eligibility requirements for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program.

Mentorship

The Fellow will work closely with Jordan Seville – Founder & CEO of Sevillian Laboratories.

The Fellow will receive hands-on mentorship in technology commercialization, intellectual property development, scientific writing, grant development, product engineering, and startup leadership.

Research Impact

Successful completion of this fellowship will contribute to development of the first rapid field-deployable detection platform for this specific toxin. The technology has the potential to improve protection against foodborne illness, reduce costly recalls, enable decentralized toxin screening, and establish a new analytical platform applicable to additional toxins of the same class and industrial quality-control applications.

Why Join Sevillian Laboratories?

This fellowship provides the opportunity to:

• Build a first-in-class food safety diagnostic technology.
• Work directly with experienced scientists and entrepreneurs.
• Publish scientific findings and contribute to patent development.
• Gain experience in startup biotechnology and commercialization.
• Translate fundamental biochemical research into a real-world product with global impact.
• Help advance New Jersey's innovation ecosystem through cutting-edge biotechnology research.

Sevillian Laboratories is a pioneering startup dedicated to developing innovative diagnostic color-changing test strips for the food and beverage industry. Our cutting-edge technology enables rapid and reliable testing for a wide range of quality parameters, empowering food and beverage manufacturers to maintain the highest standards of product quality and safety.