Research Associate II/III - temp

Seeking a Research Associate who will be focusing on development of the next generation of cellular therapies. The successful candidate will contribute to the advancement of our CAR Treg platform. The environment is teamwork-oriented, exciting, fast-paced, and offers the opportunity to directly impact the clinical translation of genome editing.

Responsibilities

• Isolation of primary human T (and ideally Treg) cells and their maintenance in tissue culture. Perform lentiviral transduction or in vitro electroporation to achieve gene editing and CAR expression.
• Perform multiparameter flow cytometry analysis of Zinc Finger Nuclease-edited cells and/or CAR-expressing cells. Develop robust new panels for phenotyping and other flow-based immunoassays.
• Perform functional analysis of edited Tregs, including suppression assays, activation, and reporter assays. Cell sorting experience is a plus.
• Perform gene expression analyses by RT-PCR or related methods.
• Clone new constructs and produce lentiviral vectors, including production of lentiviruses and titration.
• Support lab management and infrastructure.
• Document methods, maintain laboratory notebooks and databases.
• Make detailed observations, summarize data, present progress to project team and/or other groups
• Maintain high level of professional expertise through familiarity with scientific literature. Investigate, create, and develop new methods and technologies to address research challenges for project advancement

Qualifications

• B.Sc. or M.Sc. in a scientific discipline (preferably immunology or molecular and cell biology). 2+ years of experience. Level will be dependent upon education, skills and experience.
• Highly proficient with aseptic cell culture techniques and cell-based assays using primary human cells. Experience in Treg cell isolation and functional assessment a plus.
• Proficient in multiparameter flow cytometry and experienced in applying rigorous, standardized methods to generate high quality data using FlowJo.
• Proficient in molecular methods such as cloning, nucleic acid extraction, PCR. Illumina sequencing experience is a plus.
• Proficient in the use of computer programs for sequencing and DNA construct generation, data analysis and assembly (e.g. Geneious or similar, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Great attention to detail and excellent organization skills.
• Must have a goal-oriented mindset, be capable of prioritizing and working on multiple projects within timelines.
• Ability to work well in a cross functional team environment.