Research Scientist 1

MIT • Cambridge, MA

10d

About The Position

The Research Scientist 1, Center for Biomedical Innovation (CBI), part of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC), will support a J-WAFS seed grant to develop a lyophilized, single-tube, multiplex molecular diagnostic for rapid detection of waterborne viruses. Working with an interdisciplinary team, the Research Scientist will integrate reverse transcription–recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) with programmable Argonaute nuclease detection to identify Norovirus and Hepatitis A virus in environmental water samples.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in biochemical or chemical engineering, biological sciences, or a related field
• At least two years of relevant experience
• Experience developing rapid point-of-use analytical tools
• Hands-on experience with isothermal nucleic acid amplification, such as RT-RPA or LAMP
• Expertise in PCR-based methods, nucleic acid probe and guide design, and fluorescence detection
• Experience with RNA virus targets or viral nucleic acid standards in complex matrices
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Strong troubleshooting, organizational, documentation, and communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Argonaute or CRISPR based detection
• Lateral-flow assays
• Lyophilization
• Environmental sample processing
• Waterborne pathogens
• Water-quality monitoring
• RT-qPCR benchmarking
• Publications
• Scientific presentations
• Electronic laboratory notebooks

Responsibilities

• Evaluating Argonaute nucleases
• Developing guide DNAs and RT-RPA primers
• Optimizing fluorescence and lateral-flow detection
• Formulating and testing lyophilized reaction pellets for ambient-temperature storage
• Validating assay performance in surface water, agricultural runoff, and municipal water
• Assessing sensitivity, stability, time-to-result, and inter-user variability
• Maintaining experimental documentation
• Communicating findings
• Contributing to reports, presentations, and publications

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree