Scientist/Sr. Scientist, Structural Biology

tl;dr

General Proximity is a seed-stage startup developing the next generation of induced proximity medicines (IPMs). Our OmniTAC drug discovery engine furnishes molecules that co-opt existing cellular machinery to overcome therapeutic challenges, which have remained unapproachable to other modalities for decades.

We are seeking first-rate structural biologists to help us pioneer this uncharted frontier of drug discovery.

Our Story

A long-standing challenge in drug discovery is the development of molecules capable of modulating difficult or "undruggable" targets. Disease-causing proteins can be dysfunctional in many different ways, but our armamentarium for fixing them is quite limited. The most common mechanism of action for FDA-approved drugs is inhibition[1], but there are many other possible perturbation types whose potential remains unrealized.

General Proximity is a seed-stage drug discovery company developing a novel platform technology to solve this problem. We make bifunctional drugs that induce the modification of drug targets by existing cellular machinery (rather than through direct modulation by the drug, the classical approach).

Historically, the development of technologies that allow one to push new buttons in biology has been an incredibly fertile field for the discovery of new medicines[2, 3, 4], and our technology holds the same promise.

 

The Position

We are seeking an experienced structural biologist to be a member of our Platform/Drug Discovery Team. In this position, you will work in close conjunction with our Biology Team in the development of our core drug discovery technology and the generation of a completely novel class of therapeutics.

Your responsibilities will include designing and conducting experiments to express, purify, and characterize target proteins for structural studies, utilizing state-of-the-art structural biology techniques to determine the three-dimensional structures of target proteins, analyzing structural data, supervising purification efforts with our CROs, biophysical and biochemical assay development, and conducting high throughput phenotypic and cell-based screening.

 

About You

High Agency. Initiative, independence, and self-accountability are some of our most valued traits.

Enthusiastic. We love people who are excited about what they are doing and are generally attempting to build a high-energy team.

Intensity and Grit. Early-stage startups are hard. Drug discovery is doubly so. We are looking for candidates who have a demonstrated ability to stick with complex problems for the long haul, with a team that has your back along the way.

Prosocial. We are here to create life-saving medicines for the patients who need it most. You should be, too.

 

Qualifications & Nice-To-Haves

• PhD in Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or a related field.
• Proficiency in: 
  • Strong expertise in protein expression, purification, and structural characterization techniques such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and computational modeling 
  • Experience using multiple expression systems (mammalian, bacterial, insect) 
  • Strong expertise in biochemical and biophysical assay development (e.g., SPR, BLI, DSF, etc.) 
  • Mammalian cell culture, molecular biology/cloning, PCR, and other common biology techniques like western blotting, flow cytometry, microscopy 
  • Familiarity with automatic, robotic dispensers, liquid handlers 
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team 
  • Strong written and oral communication skills 

• Nice to have: