Senior Research Associate/Associate Scientist, RNA Rewriting

Company Summary:

Tessera Therapeutics is pioneering Gene Writing™— a new biotechnology designed to offer scientists and clinicians the ability to write small and large therapeutic messages into the genome, thereby curing diseases at their source. Gene Writing holds the potential to become a new category in genetic medicine, building upon recent breakthroughs in gene therapy and gene editing while eliminating important limitations in their reach, utilization, and efficacy. Tessera Therapeutics was founded by Flagship Pioneering, a life sciences innovation enterprise that conceives, resources, and develops first-in-category companies to transform human health and sustainability.

Position Summary:

The Senior Research Associate/Associate Scientist will be responsible for building a next generation screening platform, executing screening workflows, and supporting the team with a focus on molecular and cellular biology in the broader context of applying genome engineering technologies. We are searching for a driven, enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who is comfortable multitasking and working independently on various aspects of the platform. This individual will join a dynamic, rapidly growing, and highly collaborative team.

Key Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will work both independently and as part of a collaborative team to:

• Design, plan and execute experiments that support research activities, project goals, and platform development.
• Perform arrayed and pooled high-throughput screens in different cells including primary T-cells, primary hepatocytes, and K562 cells.
• Use automation to support screening activities.
• Use NGS, flow cytometry, cell imaging, and other approaches for readout.
• Analyze complex HTP screening data.
• Maintain electronic lab notebooks and articulate results to the scientific team.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in biology, cell biology, immunology or a related field with 2+ years of industry experience.
• Prior experience performing high-throughput screens
• Prior experience with large scale lentiviral screens in mammalian cells.
• Extensive experience with mammalian cell culture techniques, especially primary T cells.
• Experience independently generating and documenting precise, reproducible data, and skillfully analyzing the data.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of conveying technical information in a clear and thorough manner.
• Motivated and excited about biological discovery and assay development.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment and strong attention to detail with the capability of working on multiple projects simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with genome editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9 and related technologies.
• Hands-on experience with cell-based and molecular biology assays with a variety of readout technologies, such as flow cytometry and PCR.
• Experience working with lab automation.

 

More About Flagship Pioneering

Flagship Pioneering has conceived of and created companies such as Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA), Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT), Omega Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OMGA), Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB), and Indigo Agriculture. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has applied its unique hypothesis-driven innovation process to originate and foster more than 100 scientific ventures. In 2021, Flagship Pioneering was ranked 12th globally 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.

Flagship Pioneering and our ecosystem companies are 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:  Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates.  The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team.   Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.