Our client is an innovative, stealth mode biotech company working to treat common diseases that afflict large numbers of patients through genetic medicines. They are building therapeutics that will modify and control multiple genes at the DNA, RNA, and/or protein level in vivo and are seeking a Principal Scientist, reporting to the Head of Preclinical.

Responsibilities:

• Design and build RNAs and proteins to enable therapeutic genome and transcriptome engineering using CRISPR-Cas and novel systems
• Lead efforts to optimize activity and specificity of DNA and RNA modification systems using in vivo delivery paradigms and clinically relevant models
• Design and execution of evolution screens
• Identify and implement new approaches to engineering efforts
• Provide mentorship by challenging existing ideas and interpretations, leading discussion of new approaches/ideas, and collaborating with others to solve experimental roadblocks

Qualifications:

• PhD in a biological discipline, or a masters and 4+ years of experience in independent experimental design in protein biochemistry, computational protein design, structural biology, bioengineering, or directed evolution
• A track record of modifying protein behavior through direct modifications or through screening and selection approaches
• Experience building, designing, or improving CRISPR based gene editing tools
• Experience engineering protein – nucleic acid interfaces
• Experience with the design and executive of FACS based pooled screening in mammalian cells
• Library design using various methods including random mutagenesis, and sequence/structure guided
• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques for synthesizing or building constructs and libraries

Preferred:

• Lentivirus production, titration and transduction