Etiome: Translational Biology / Target Validation Co-Op

Flagship Pioneering • Cambridge, MA

6d • Onsite

About The Position

Etiome is seeking a graduate-level Co-op student to join its Biology team and help experimentally validate novel therapeutic targets identified through its Temporal Biodynamics platform. The student will work closely with scientists to develop and execute disease-relevant in vitro assays, evaluate therapeutic hypotheses, and generate mechanistic data for target-validation and drug-discovery programs. The role offers hands-on experience in human disease biology, functional genomics, translational biology, and drug discovery.

The Co-op will design and perform cell-based experiments, maintain and treat mammalian cells, support functional target perturbation, and develop and troubleshoot assays. The student will use molecular and cellular biology techniques, analyze and interpret quantitative results, review relevant literature, integrate experimental readouts against validation criteria, maintain accurate electronic lab records, and present findings to the Biology team and project groups.

This position is open exclusively to current Northeastern University Co-op students. The work period is January 2027 through June 2027. It is full-time at 40 hours per week, with five days in the office. The pay range is $25–$35 per hour. This short-term engagement is not eligible for health and welfare benefits; retirement benefits may be available after completing a set number of hours.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or master’s program in Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacology, or a related discipline.
• Strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology, with hands-on laboratory research or prior co-op experience.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture.
• Hands-on experience with one or more of the following: qPCR, RNA/DNA isolation, ELISA or other immunoassays, Western blotting, cell-based functional assays, microscopy, or quantitative imaging.
• Ability to troubleshoot experiments and critically evaluate experimental results.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to rigorous, reproducible experimental work.
• Strong organizational, documentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced research environment.
• Must be a current Northeastern University Co-op student.
• Graduate-level Co-op student sought for the position.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with primary human cells.
• Previous research experience in disease biology, functional genomics, target validation, or drug discovery.
• Experience with gene perturbation approaches such as siRNA, CRISPR, or related technologies.
• Experience developing or optimizing cell-based assays.
• Experience working with cell culture.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute disease-relevant cell-based experiments to evaluate novel therapeutic targets and biological hypotheses.
• Perform mammalian cell culture using established cell lines and/or primary human cells, including cell maintenance, experimental treatment, perturbation, and sample collection.
• Support functional target validation, potentially including gene knockdown or other target-perturbation approaches.
• Develop, optimize, and troubleshoot in vitro assays and experimental conditions to model disease-relevant biological processes.
• Perform molecular and cellular biology techniques, including RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, qPCR, ELISA, and MSD-based immunoassays; perform additional biochemical or imaging-based assays as needed.
• Analyze and interpret experimental results using appropriate quantitative approaches and relate findings to the biological hypothesis.
• Conduct literature reviews to support experimental design, pathway analysis, target biology, and interpretation of results.
• Integrate results across experimental readouts to help determine whether targets meet predefined validation criteria.
• Maintain accurate experimental records in electronic laboratory notebooks and organize datasets for downstream analysis.
• Present experimental results and conclusions during Biology team and project meetings.

Benefits

• Access to enrichment sessions, a dedicated professional development track, and a mentor through the Flagship Pioneering Co-Op Program.
• Opportunity to be considered for future roles across Flagship and its portfolio companies.
• Retirement benefits may be available after completing a set number of hours; the role is not eligible for health and welfare benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed