Molecular Biology Scientist, mRNA Design & Automation

F-Prime Capital; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k with company match

Paid sick time

Paid vacation time

Life and disability insurance

Commuting expense reimbursement

Job summary

Aera Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Scientist, Molecular Biology (mRNA) to design, build, and test mRNA constructs to advance our mRNA platform. You will collaborate with Therapeutics Discovery and Analytical Sciences to understand and improve mRNA biology and protein expression.

You will transfect mammalian cells, develop high‑throughput assays on automated platforms, and integrate data across multiple assays to guide program decisions in a collaborative Cambridge team.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in engineering or life sciences with relevant hands‑on research experience.
• Hands‑on molecular biology skills including cloning and sequencing.
• Experience with RNA handling and RNase‑free workflows.
• Experience automating assays on liquid‑handling platforms.
• Mammalian cell culture and transfection experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and clone mRNA expression constructs and perform in vitro transcription.
• Transfect mammalian cells and quantify protein expression by assays.
• Develop and automate in vitro assays to increase throughput.
• Integrate data across molecular, cellular, and in vivo assays.
• Represent mRNA design on cross‑functional programs and maintain records.

Skills

PCR

Molecular cloning

Plasmid prep

Gel electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis

Sanger sequencing

RNA handling

RNase-free workflow

Mammalian cell culture

Transfection

mRNA sequence features

Education

BS (8+ years) / MS (6+ years) / PhD (2+ years) in life sciences or engineering

Tools

Hamilton

Tecan

Opentrons

Job description

Aera Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Scientist, Molecular Biology (mRNA) to design, build, and test mRNA constructs to advance our mRNA platform. You will collaborate with Therapeutics Discovery and Analytical Sciences to understand and improve mRNA biology and protein expression.

You will transfect mammalian cells, develop high‑throughput assays on automated platforms, and integrate data across multiple assays to guide program decisions in a collaborative Cambridge team.