Research Associate, Molecular Biology

Position Summary:

A local Biotech company is currently seeking a creative and detail-oriented Research Associate with experience in molecular biology to support the internal pipeline technology program within the platform and discovery group. This role requires a core focus on the construction of new molecular plasmids, assay development supporting molecular gene editing, and generation of stable, clonal cell lines.. Hands-on experience with techniques in genome engineering and virus transduction methodologies are highly desirable.

The successful candidate will be both a strong lab-based individual contributor and a team player who works well with other scientists. The candidate will contribute to key discovery studies which will have a direct impact on the success of our therapeutic programs.

Responsibilities:

• Perform molecular cloning to assemble novel plasmid DNA constructs.
• Perform standard PCR and RT-qPCR assays in mammalian cells and cell lines.
• Perform and optimize transfection and transduction for delivery of plasmids and viral vectors for stable and transient gene expression in cell lines.
• Maintain cell lines through transfection and selection for the generation of transient and stable clones.

Duties:

• Perform in vivo gene editing using CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins.
• Express recombinant proteins and characterize protein expression using standard assays (e.g., SDS-PAGE, western blot).
• Accurately document experimental protocols, perform analysis and help with interpretation of data, and report key findings to senior management and research team.
• Proficiency in working with various DNA analysis software programs such as Snapgene, Lasergene or their equivalent, and with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint).

Requirements:

• B.S. in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, immunology, or a related field. 2 years (or more) relevant laboratory-based experience in industry or academia.
• Experience with molecular cloning, including plasmid DNA construction, transformation, and isolation, nucleic acid extraction, DNA mini- and maxi-prepping procedures and DNA sequence analysis.
• Experience in gel-based assays (DNA gels, protein gels, western blot)
• Experience in genomic DNA isolation and mRNA purification, and RT-qPCR
• Experience in standard tissue culture techniques and maintaining cell lines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in vector construction techniques such as PCR, Gibson assembly, Golden-Gate assembly, restriction enzyme digestion and ligation.
• Experience with viral vectors (e.g., AAV/lentiviral).
• Experience in single cell isolation and cloning and fluorescence-based cell identification using either microscopy or flow cytometry methods.
• Experience in working with cGMP compliant/quality-controlled procedures is a plus.