Durga Manjari Arvapalli
Apex
Summary
Scientist with extensive experience supporting advanced biological workflows, customer-facing scientific collaboration, and application development for high-throughput technologies. Strong background in cell culture, cancer models, fluorescence and confocal microscopy, and imaging-based assays, with proven ability to translate complex technologies into actionable experimental workflows. Experienced presenter at conferences and collaborator across R&D, product Development, and external partners. Thrive in fast-paced, startup environments and enjoy hands-on problem-solving and workflow optimization.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
R&D Scientist
BioSkryb Genomics
Durham, NC
04.2021 - Current
- Contribute to the development and optimization of commercially deployed single-cell multi-omics technologies, supporting diverse research and translational applications.
- Serve as a scientific resource for workflow troubleshooting, experimental optimization, and application-specific use cases, including cancer and clinical samples.
- Designed and implemented high-throughput experimental protocols, enabling scalable and reproducible customer-facing workflows.
- Collaborated across internal teams and external partners (Illumina, Duke, NIST, Nanocellect) to support evaluations and application development.
- Presented experimental workflows and data at international conferences, engaging a broad audience of scientists and industry stakeholders.
- Authored and contributed to scientific documentation, protocols, and application materials.
- Trained and mentored new scientists in laboratory techniques, workflow best practices, and experimental troubleshooting.
Graduate research assistant
Durga, UNCG
Greensboro, NC
08.2015 - 05.2020
- Maintained and established mammalian and primary cell cultures, including cancer models.
- Performed fluorescence and confocal microscopy for cellular uptake, imaging, and assay validation.
- Conducted 2D and 3D cell culture experiments, viability and toxicity assays, and live/dead analysis.
- Designed and developed a cell-based bioreactor for rapid drug toxicity screening.
- Served as Cell Culture Lab Manager, training junior researchers and ensuring best practices.
- Performed 2D and 3D cell cultures, cell viability and toxicity assays, cellular uptake (confocal microscopy, fluorescence microscopy), antioxidant and radical scavenging studies
- Synthesized and characterized nanoparticles (AFM, SEM, XPS, FTIR, ICP, Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, DLS, zeta potentiometer)
Graduate, teaching assistant
North Carolina A & Technical State
Greensboro, NC
08.2014 - 05.2015
- Designed and developed cell-based bioreactors for rapid drug toxicity screening
- Performed cell adhesion, viability and toxicity assays, live dead assays, cellular uptake studies
- Cell culture lab manager (2 years) and trains cell culture techniques to junior students
- Laboratory instructor for Biology 100/200 level courses
Education
Ph.D - Nanoscience
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Greensboro, NC2020
Master of Science - Biology
North Carolina A & T State University, A & T State University
Greensboro, NC2015
B.S - Biotechnology
Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering
India2012
Skills
- Scientific workflow support and troubleshooting
- Experimental design and protocol optimization
- Scientific presentations & conference demonstrations
- Cross-functional collaboration (R&D, Product Development, external partners)
- Training and mentoring scientists and research staff
- Fluorescence Microscopy
- Confocal Microscopy
- Image-based cellular assays
- ImageJ, Excel, GraphPad Prism
Customer & Scientific Enablement
Microscopy & Imaging
- Mammalian cell culture (2D & 3D)
- Cancer cell models & clinical samples
- Cell viability, proliferation, and toxicity assays
- DNA/RNA extraction, purification, quantification
- High-throughput and automated workflows
- Experimental data analysis & visualization
- Bioinformatics data interpretation
- Excel, GraphPad Prism, Python (basic)
Wet Lab & Biology
Data & Analysis
Additional Information
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Received best Reviewer's Choice award for poster abstract at American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) conference, 2022
- Received1st place in the poster presentation at American Chemical Society (ACS) poster vendor night organized at Syngenta, Greensboro, NC 2019
- Received Award of Research Excellence along with summer research assistantship, 2019
- Received Honors in Master of Science, Biology at North Carolina A & T State University
- Received David Dowdy scholarship at North Carolina A & T State University
- 3 Minute Thesis finalist for two consecutive years at UNCG
Patent
US patent application filed on “Single Cell Multiomics”, 2022.
LinkedIn Profile
www.linkedin.com/in/durga-arvapalli
Timeline
R&D Scientist
BioSkryb Genomics
04.2021 - Current
Graduate research assistant
Durga, UNCG
08.2015 - 05.2020
Graduate, teaching assistant
North Carolina A & Technical State
08.2014 - 05.2015
Ph.D - Nanoscience
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Master of Science - Biology
North Carolina A & T State University, A & T State University
B.S - Biotechnology
Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering