Senior Research Associate/Associate Scientist, Nucleic Acid Biology

Company Summary:

FL87, Inc. is a privately held, early-stage biotechnology company developing a novel approach to gene therapy that can address currently untreatable diseases.

FL87 was founded by Flagship Pioneering, an innovation enterprise that conceives, creates, resources, and grows first-in-category life sciences companies. Flagship Pioneering has created over 100 groundbreaking companies over the past twenty years, all of which are pioneering novel and proprietary biological, industrial, and engineering approaches to solve major needs in human health and sustainability. These companies include Moderna (MRNA), Syros Pharmaceuticals (SYRS), Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MCRB), Generate Biomedicines, Tessera Tx, Evelo Biosciences (EVLO), and Indigo Agriculture.

The Role

We are seeking an outstanding Senior Research Associate/Associate Scientist, Nucleic Acid Biology (exact title flexible based on qualifications) to join us in ideating and building the next generation of Programmable Medicines. Our mission is to completely re-imagine nucleic acid therapeutics, casting aside long-standing dogma to pioneer integrated innovation at the cutting edge of both payload and delivery. This is a rare and unique opportunity to be part of the early team at Serif Biomedicines that combines an insurgent, swing-for-the-fences mindset with the backing, resources, and know-how of one of biotech’s leading VCs.

Key Responsibilities

• Be a Nucleic Acid Innovator. We’re looking for someone who can think critically and creatively about nucleic acids (and proteins) with an appetite to continually learn, grow, and solve big problems.
• Experiment and explore rigorously within the fields of nucleic acid molecular biology. We’re looking for someone who’s excited to roll up their sleeves and pursue benchwork science. Key skillsets include:
• Design and synthesize nucleic acids (plasmid and reporter design, cloning methodologies, PCR, IVT, primer extension, ligation, etc.)
• Analyze nucleic acids (gel electrophoresis, TapeStation, fragment analyzer, etc.)
• Purify nucleic acids and enzymes (various kits, phenol-chloroform, HPLC, etc.)
• Assay development (multi-factor optimization strategies, knowledge of DOE methods is desirable)
• Enzyme purification and characterization (affinity purification, liquid chromatography, activity assays) 

Who you are

• Technical expert: Your background is in molecular biology or biochemistry, and you have experience in nucleic acid innovation, production, purification, and assay development. Ideally, you also have considerable experience in protein biochemistry as well.
• Mission-driven scientist: You are a nucleic acid biologist and are driven to help build something big.
• Relentless pioneer: You thrive in new and unknown territory - capable of executing rapidly and iteratively to make progress, and reliable in delivering decisive readouts on time.
• Team player: You flourish in collaborative work environments with other highly skilled individuals. You readily support your colleagues’ challenges & celebrate their victories.
• Effective communicator: You can easily and excitedly convey details about your work to scientists and non-scientists alike.

More About Flagship Pioneering

We are creative optimists and we would love for you to consider joining our team!  See all our open opportunities across Flagship Pioneering’s Ecosystem!

Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies, and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Le