Contract Scientist- De Novo Discovery & Screening

Stratacuity: Proven Scientific Placement; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Stratacuity: Proven Scientific Placement partners with an innovative biotechnology company to recruit a contract scientist for a hit discovery and protein engineering team focused on identifying next-generation therapeutic binders using display technologies.

In this role, you will design, build, and screen diverse phage and mRNA display libraries against challenging protein targets while collaborating with discovery biology, biochemistry, and data science.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.
• 2-4 years of relevant laboratory experience with a B.S., or 1-2 years with an M.S.
• Strong hands-on experience with PCR, cloning, DNA manipulation, and library construction.
• Experience with laboratory automation and/or next-generation sequencing workflows is a plus.
• Exposure to display technologies such as phage, yeast, ribosome, or mRNA display is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Construct and screen phage and mRNA display libraries using PCR, cloning, and in vitro transcription/translation.
• Identify and characterize novel binders against challenging protein targets.
• Support optimization of display platform workflows, including library amplification, enrichment, and hit characterization.
• Prepare samples for next-generation sequencing and contribute to downstream data analysis.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to plan experiments, troubleshoot challenges, interpret results, and advance projects.
• Maintain thorough experimental documentation and electronic laboratory records.
• Operate and support laboratory automation platforms, including liquid handling systems and plate readers.

Skills

PCR

Cloning

DNA manipulation

Library construction

Display technologies

Data interpretation

Collaboration

AI-assisted workflows

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Molecular Biology/related

Tools

Laboratory automation

Next-generation sequencing

Job description

We're partnering with an innovative biotechnology company seeking a contract scientist to join a hit discovery and protein engineering team focused on identifying next-generation therapeutic binders using advanced display technologies.

In this role, you will help design, build, and screen diverse phage and mRNA display libraries against challenging protein targets while working closely with scientists across discovery biology, biochemistry, and data science. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on molecular biologist who enjoys solving complex scientific problems in a highly collaborative environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Construct and screen phage and mRNA display libraries using molecular biology techniques such as PCR, cloning, and in vitro transcription/translation.
• Identify and characterize novel binders against challenging protein targets.
• Support optimization of display platform workflows, including library amplification, enrichment, and hit characterization.
• Prepare samples for next-generation sequencing and contribute to downstream data analysis.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to plan experiments, troubleshoot challenges, interpret results, and advance projects.
• Maintain thorough experimental documentation and electronic laboratory records.
• Operate and support laboratory automation platforms, including liquid handling systems and plate readers.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.
• 2-4 years of relevant laboratory experience with a B.S., or 1-2 years with an M.S.
• Strong hands-on experience with PCR, cloning, DNA manipulation, and library construction.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute experiments, troubleshoot effectively, and interpret data.
• Experience with laboratory automation and/or next-generation sequencing workflows is a plus.
• Exposure to display technologies such as phage, yeast, ribosome, or mRNA display is preferred but not required.
• Strong communication skills, intellectual curiosity, and a collaborative mindset.
• Comfortable leveraging AI tools effectively and responsibly to enhance productivity and scientific workflows.
• Ability to work on-site and participate in in-person collaboration.