Scientist, mRNA

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals•Cambridge, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Delivery Sciences team at Alnylam is seeking a Scientist to contribute to our ligand discovery efforts for expanding RNAi delivery to all tissues. The successful candidate will help drive ligand discovery and selection efforts through design and characterization of mRNA formulations. This role requires a strong background in molecular biology and biochemistry, along with hands-on expertise in designing and optimizing stabilized mRNA for in vivo applications. The individual will need excellent organization and communication skills to work collaboratively across multiple groups in the research organization. This position is onsite and will be primarily located in Cambridge, MA.

Requirements

PhD in Molecular Biology and biochemistry with 1-3 years relevant industry/academic experience
Expertise in mRNA design, optimization, preparation and characterization
Demonstrated proficiency in mRNA antigen design and immunization strategies for binder discovery
Strong experimental design/execution, rigorous data analysis, diligent record keeping (ELN, inventory management), and the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel are required
Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) are essential.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience in self-amplifying RNA is preferred
Experience in NGS library preparation and bioinformatic analysis of high throughput sequencing data will be a plus

Responsibilities

Design mRNA compositions to drive high, persistent in vivo expression of target proteins resulting in robust immune responses in animal models
Systematically optimize mRNA designs to enhance translation efficiency, structural stability, and extended in-cell lifetime.
Implement optimized mRNA designs for binder discovery in collaboration with teams across research
Prepare clear and well-structured experimental reports and data presentations
Contribute to a cross-functional team of biologists, chemists, and pharmacologists to drive the strategic direction of research programs across multiple therapeutic modalities