Scientist, Delivery Screening Technology, Horns Lab

Arc Institute•Palo Alto, CA

44d•$121,250 - $159,500•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Scientist to join the Horns laboratory at the Arc Institute. In this position, you will lead the development of pooled screening technology for measuring and engineering how biological nanoparticles deliver molecular cargo into cells. You will play a critical role in building, validating, and scaling these platforms, and in applying them to discover and engineer next-generation delivery vehicles, such as virus-like particles and vesicles. Your work will directly impact our understanding of how cells interact with nanoparticles and the development of therapeutic delivery systems. The successful candidate will discover, design, and engineer delivery vehicles. This work will initially focus on establishing quantitative molecular readouts of cargo delivery and executing pooled screens in cultured mammalian cells, then scaling to large multiplexed libraries. In the longer term, these approaches will be used to reveal principles governing cellular delivery and to enable efficient, precise, targeted delivery to specific cell types. The candidate will collaborate with other members of Arc’s labs and Technology Centers in a dynamic environment to drive scientific discoveries, including partnering with groups within Arc Institute who are leaders in RNA biology and RNA medicine, single-cell genomics, genome engineering, and AI/ML. The ideal candidate would have a passion for cutting-edge technology development and a proven track record of working in an interdisciplinary environment and turning concepts into reliable methods and results. This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious self-starter who is motivated to apply their skills to diverse projects and enjoys working in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment.

Requirements

PhD in cell or molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, bioengineering, or a related field with 0-5 years of relevant post-PhD experience in academia and/or industry.
Deep hands-on experience in pooled screening with end-to-end ownership, including library design and construction, screen execution, NGS readout, and hit calling and analysis.
Demonstrated track record of developing and validating novel quantitative molecular assays from scratch, with strong troubleshooting skills.
Fluency with mammalian cell culture and cell engineering, including construct design, cloning, and characterization of genetically modified cells.
Proficiency with flow cytometry, including selection for pooled screens.
Ability to analyze large and complex data sets using Python, R, or similar tools.
Strong quantitative aptitude and rigorous experimental design.
Strong project management skills with the ability to plan, execute, and deliver results on time.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment and be both an independent thinker and a collaborative team player.

Nice To Haves

Experience with mammalian synthetic biology, including reporter design or genetic circuit engineering, is a plus.
Experience with protein engineering, directed evolution, or deep mutational scanning is a plus.
Experience with relevant cell biology (e.g. endocytosis, receptor trafficking, endosomal escape) or virology (viral entry, fusogens, pseudotyping, egress) is a plus.
Experience with computational protein design or genome mining is a plus.
Experience with animal handling and procedures (e.g. injection, tissue collection) is a plus.
Prior experience in drug delivery, nanomedicine, extracellular vesicles, viral vectors, or lipid nanoparticles is welcome, but not required. We are equally interested in candidates from functional genomics, high-throughput screening, protein engineering, virology, and mammalian synthetic biology who are excited to apply those skills to a new problem domain.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and validate molecular reporters that measure how efficiently delivery vehicles enter cells and release cargo.
Design and construct pooled libraries of engineered delivery vehicles and cellular components, and execute screens with sequencing-based readouts.
Scale the platform from proof-of-concept to large multiplexed screens, and apply it to discover and engineer improved delivery vehicles.
Design and execute validation experiments, including orthogonal assays and characterization of individual hits.
Analyze sequencing data computationally, including developing analysis pipelines.
Collaborate with lab members developing complementary screening platforms.
Embrace the opportunity to creatively collaborate with Technology Centers and other laboratories.
Maintain accurate and detailed records of experimental protocols, results, and conclusions.
Present key research findings at internal meetings and seminars, and external conferences.
Provide guidance and mentorship to Research Associates.
Stay updated on advancements in the field of functional genomics, synthetic biology, and drug delivery by reading the literature and attending conferences.