Scientist-Principal Scientist, Protein Design & Structure

Superluminal Medicines, Inc.•Boston, MA

About The Position

About Superluminal Medicines: Superluminal Medicines is a generative biology and chemistry company revolutionizing the speed and accuracy of how small molecule medicines are created. The Company’s platform aims to create candidate-ready compounds with unprecedented speed using a combination of deep biology, computational and medicinal chemistry, machine learning, and proprietary big data infrastructure. We are expanding the team of talented scientists who seek to build the future of small molecule drug discovery with creativity and innovation. Position Summary We are seeking a highly innovative and experienced Scientist/Senior Scientist/Principal Scientist to lead GPCR protein engineering and production efforts. The successful candidate will be a subject matter expert (SME) in membrane protein biochemistry, responsible for developing and implementing strategies to express, purify, and characterize challenging G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to support structural biology, biophysics, and drug discovery programs. This role involves hands-on laboratory work and scientific leadership.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, or a related field with 2+ years (Scientist), 5+ years (Senior Scientist), or 8+ years (Principal Scientist) of relevant experience; or a master’s or bachelor’s degree in a related field with commensurate industry experience.
Deep knowledge of GPCR biology and membrane protein structure-function relationships.
Proven expertise in molecular biology (cloning, construct design, mutagenesis).
Hands-on experience in protein purification of GPCRs using FPLC (affinity, SEC).
Familiarity with protein stabilization techniques (e.g., antibody fragments, fusion partners, mutagenesis).
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with structural biology methods (data collection and processing for Cryo-EM).
Experience in laboratory automation in protein sciences & purification.
Background in computational protein design tools (e.g., Rosetta, AI/ML-driven prediction).

Responsibilities

Protein Engineering Strategy: Design, execute, and optimize constructs for GPCR expression.
Expression & Purification: Drive the development of high-throughput protein expression (mammalian/insect cells) and purification workflows, ensuring high-quality, homogeneous protein for assays and structural studies (Cryo-EM).
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with pharmacology, structural biology, and medicinal chemistry teams to support drug discovery projects and advance programs from hit-to-lead and lead optimization.
Technical Leadership: Serve as a SME on GPCR protein sciences in internal and external project teams; evaluate and implement new technologies.
Scientific Documentation & Communication: Document experiments in ELN, present data at internal/external meetings, and publish research findings.