Associate Study Director, Gene Editing, Rare Disease Translational Center

Jackson Laboratory • Bar Harbor, ME

55d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a creative and highly motivated Scientist with a strong background in molecular biology, genetics, cell culture and microbiology to join our team of scientists with the JAX Rare Disease Translational Center (RDTC). This laboratory-based position will support a team to formulate strategies and perform in vitro cell-based studies to develop novel CRISPR-based gene editing for various neurological disorders and rare diseases. He/She/They will interact with the Rare Disease Translational Center leadership and will be expected to manage and mentor research assistants to support the mission of the JAX RDTC. The JAX RDTC leverages JAX's unique research environment and resources to translate biological discovery into clinical action We work directly with foundations and their associated teams of basic science and clinical researchers to understand the molecular underpinnings of disease symptoms, identify pathways that can be targeted therapeutically, and assess the safety and efficacy of candidate drugs and therapies in biologically accurate mouse models of disease. This position is an exciting opportunity to work directly with the RDTC in supporting this mission.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree required; Masters and PhD degree in Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or related field, and extensive experience in cell biology preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, direct, train and mentor teams required
• Positive attitude and professional manner in all interactions; demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and professional development
• Demonstrated ability to support staff to thrive on change and keep pace with a fast paced, dynamic work environment which is externally focused
• Evidence of strong scientific productivity that would be demonstrated by publication in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.
• Ability to work with people across departments and gain their cooperation and commitment to projects with demanding deadlines
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills to track multiple inputs and maintain current drafts, arrange appropriate reviews, bring project to close in a timely manner to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• End-to-end innovation and accountability: independently design, execute, optimize, and troubleshoot gene editing experiments to screen/identify lead gRNA candidates.
• Evaluate editing efficiency and specificity: design and conduct advanced NGS assays to assess On-Target and Off-Targets gene editing efficiency
• Cell culture: culture and deliver CRISPR reagents in multiple formats (e.g. DNA, RNPs, lentivirus) to various cell types, including disease relevant cells (e.g. patient fibroblasts, iPSCs, etc). Differentiate cells into relevant cell types, mostly neuronal.
• Microbiology: clone gRNAs, epegRNAs, and gene fragments into plasmids, perform endotoxin-free preps, purify in vitro-transcribed RNAs.
• Molecular biology: purify biomolecules (DNA, RNA, and protein) from different sources (cells and tissue) using manual and/or automated technologies to support downstream biomolecular analyses using various techniques (e.g. NGS, qRT-PCR, ddPCR, western blot, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, etc).
• Other key attributes include: attention to detail, resourceful problem-solving, effective collaboration and communication

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees