Research Associate II, Molecular Biology

Company Summary:

Laronde is pioneering a platform that offers a completely novel way of modulating human biology via Endless RNA™ (eRNA). eRNA is a uniquely engineered RNA that can be programmed to express diverse proteins inside the body. Laronde is rapidly scaling to support the development of multiple programs across many disease areas. ​

Laronde was founded in 2017 by Flagship Labs, the innovation foundry of Flagship Pioneering. Laronde has a highly collaborative, dedicated culture, driven to achieve our vision of “making eRNA an essential class of medicines to everyone, everywhere”. To learn more, please visit the company’s website at https://www.laronde.bio.

Position Summary:

Laronde is seeking an outstanding Research Associate, RNA Molecular Biology to join a multidisciplinary team of experimental and computational synthetic biologists and engineers responsible for the study, design, and optimization of novel endless RNA (eRNA) therapeutics. The ideal candidate will lead experimental efforts to characterize translation and stability of eRNA in vitro and inside living cells using but not limited to next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. If you are a passionate and purposeful scientist keen on testing your hypotheses and learning from some of the best synthetic biologists and engineers whilst getting to work with complex multidimensional data sets, then we are looking for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, clone, and sequence DNA constructs to produce eRNAs.
• Perform NGS library preparation from eRNA samples using plate-based molecular biology techniques including PCR, reverse transcription, and nucleic acid ligation.
• Develop and apply novel NGS library preparation methods to enable assays of eRNA expression and stability in a variety of contexts with the goal to understand the eRNA sequence-structure-function relationships.
• Work with automated liquid handlers for high throughput NGS library preparation.
• Carefully document experiments in an electronic lab notebook and communicate results to collaborators.
• Work closely with an interdisciplinary team of experimental and computational biologists to design experiments, analyze data, interpret, and present your results at department meetings.

Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or Biology
• 2+ (B.S.) or 0 years (M.S.) of relevant industry experience
• Demonstrated ability to establish NGS methods and perform sequencing-based assays.
• Extensive experience with Illumina NGS library preparation, including RNA-Seq library preparation is desired.
• Strong molecular biology skills, including molecular cloning, cell culture, total RNA extraction, qRT-PCR, and gel electrophoresis.
• Experience with NGS data analysis is a strong plus.
• Demonstrated ability in working with highly collaborative teams in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and technical environment.

Laronde is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Laronde does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Laronde or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Laronde’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Laronde, and Laronde will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto