Senior Scientist, Preclinical Bioanalytical

About Capstan Therapeutics

Capstan Therapeutics is developing a targeted delivery platform and therapeutics to reprogram immune cells in vivo in a scalable and controlled format, for a broad range of disease categories. The core technology originating from University of Pennsylvania comprises Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles (tLNPs) to enable off-the-shelf immunotherapies, with tight control of dosage and of activity of engineered cells. The objective is to advance transformative first-in-class and best-in-class products for oncology, fibrosis and inflammation-related diseases and blood monogenic disorders. Our dynamic start-up is founded by pioneers in the field of immunotherapy, regenerative medicine and drug delivery including experienced industry leaders and academic faculty members from U Penn.

In summary, Capstan Therapeutics aspires to become the leader of a new revolution in medicine, opening the avenue of in vivo reprogramming of the immune system and bringing this treatment modality to a broad range of medical needs. With locations in Philadelphia and San Diego, we are looking for talented individuals to join us.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated and versatile individual with a strong bioanalytical and assay development background.  Industry experience and extensive flow cytometry experience are a must. The candidate will be expected to design, qualify, validate and/or execute at the bench a broad variety of assays able to precisely monitor the pharmacology, toxicology, biomarkers, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Capstan technologies.  Deep experience with preclinical species, especially large animal, is strongly preferred. The candidate will also support tech transfer and oversight of outside partners and contract research organizations.  This requires familiarity with GLP documentation demands and production of internal documents consistent with this level of rigor. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of Capstan’s proprietary immunotherapeutic platforms for oncology and other disease indications. This position is in the Pharmacology/Toxicology group, will be based in San Diego, CA, and will work closely with other members of our organization.

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Protein detection assay development via multiple means such as Flow cytometry, ELISA and derivative technologies, Interferometry, Westerns, Immunospot, and immunohistochemistry.
• Molecular assay development and qualification including PCR and derivative technologies.
• Designing, optimizing, executing and troubleshooting in-vivo animal studies and related laboratory analytical activities in these varied preclinical matrices.
• Qualification of robust assays for characterization of immune parameters such as phenotype, cytokine profile and distribution in blood and tissues from pre-clinical animal studies, or in vitro experiments
• Primary and immortalized cell culture, sterile technique, and general tissue culture.
• Maintenance of good laboratory practice-like activities including ALCOA+ online laboratory notebooks, instrument and reagent qualification, and documentation for technology transfer to GLP laboratories.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment
• Ability to organize and communicate data (written and oral) and participate in project team meetings and deliver timely and professional reports.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• PhD in immunology, molecular biology, or related scientific field.
• 3+ years of experience in the field of immunology, molecular biology, or related scientific fields
• 3+ years of industry experience with animal models
• Proficiency with cell culture, including mammalian cell lines and primary immune cells
• Extensive experience in techniques such as Flow cytometry, ELISA, and molecular assays
• Experience in data analysis software including FlowJo and GraphPad Prism.

If you are interested in hearing more, reach out to us. We believe that each team member will impact and improve the lives of those we work with, and those we work for—our patients.

Capstan is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform critical job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Unsolicited resumes sent to Capstan from recruiters do not constitute any type of relationship between the recruiter and Capstan and do not obligate Capstan to pay fees should we hire from those resumes. We ask that external recruiters and/or agencies not contact or present candidates directly to our hiring managers or employees.