Senior Scientist, Bioanalytical Sciences

Flagship Pioneering, Inc.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

Serif Biomedicines in Cambridge, MA, seeks a Senior Scientist, Bioanalytical Sciences, to lead immunogenicity and bioanalytical assay development for innate immunity and nucleic acid therapies. You will direct LBA and flow cytometry workflows, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate across CMC, molecular biology, and cell biology teams to deliver high-quality data for preclinical programs.

This is a hands-on, lab-based, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in immunology, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, cell biology or related field with 5+ years of industry experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in innate immune signaling and nucleic acid sensing pathways for DNA and mRNA.
• Proficiency in multicolor flow cytometry, ddPCR, ligand binding assays, leukopak processing and isolation of PBMCs.
• Experience with LNPs, and nucleic acid modalities preferred.
• Experience developing bioanalytical methods to measure drugs and biomarkers for LNP delivery of nucleic acid cargoes.
• Experience managing junior scientists.
• Strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail, strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and execute cell-based immunoassays, flow cytometry based assays and LBAs to assess immunogenicity to LNP delivered nucleic acid cargoes in vitro and in vivo.
• Apply knowledge of innate immunology and establish in vitro screening assays for various nucleic acid modalities and establish criteria for release of cargo for pre-clinical research.
• Collaborate with CMC, molecular biology and cell biology teams to screen nucleic acid cargoes and ensure timely data delivery.
• Ensure development, qualification, and validation of bioanalytical assays in compliance with guidelines.
• Design, optimize, and execute biodistribution studies for LNP/nucleic acid therapies.
• Design, establish and execute assays for immunogenicity predictors in rodents and NHPs.
• Develop and execute bioanalytical assays to support nonclinical studies (PK, PD, biomarkers).
• Execute test procedures (Flow Cytometry, ELISA, MSD, Luminex, ddPCR) and interpret data.
• Maintain documentation and present data at project meetings.
• Mentor, coach, and manage junior scientists.

Skills

Innate immunology

Flow cytometry

ddPCR

Ligand binding assays

Leadership / mentoring

Bioanalytical methods

Communication

Nucleic acid modalities

Education

Ph.D. in immunology / biosciences

Tools

Flow cytometry instruments

LBA platforms

PBMC isolation

LNP formulation knowledge

Job description

Senior Scientist, Bioanalytical Sciences

Cambridge, MA USA

Company Summary:

Serif Biomedicines is a privately held, early-stage biotechnology company developing a novel approach to gene therapy that can address currently untreatable diseases.

Serif was founded by Flagship Pioneering, an innovation enterprise that conceives, creates, resources, and grows first-in-category life sciences companies. Flagship Pioneering has created over 100 groundbreaking companies over the past twenty years, all of which are pioneering novel and proprietary biological, industrial, and engineering approaches to solve major needs in human health and sustainability. These companies include Moderna (MRNA), Syros Pharmaceuticals (SYRS), Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MCRB), Generate Biomedicines, Tessera Tx, Evelo Biosciences (EVLO), and Indigo Agriculture.

Position Summary:

Senior Scientist, Bioanalytical Sciences (Innate Immunity, Ligand Binding Assays & Flow Cytometry)

We are seeking a highly motivated and accomplished Sr. Scientist I with deep expertise in innate immunogenicity, and bioanalytical assay development, including ligand binding assays (LBA) and multi-color flow cytometry. This full-time, laboratory-based position calls for hands-on mastery of bioanalytical platforms and a strong working knowledge of LNP-formulated and nucleic acid therapeutics, including biodistribution studies. In this role, you will lead the development, qualification, and implementation of various immunogenicity and LBAs that support both our platform and therapeutic programs, with a particular focus on characterizing innate immune responses to novel nucleic acid modalities. You will also mentor, coach, and manage junior scientists, setting scientific directions, guiding experimental design, and fostering technical growth within the team. You will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and contribute as part of a highly collaborative, cross-functional team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, develop and execute cell-based immunoassays, flow cytometry based assays and LBAs to assess immunogenicity to LNP delivered nucleic acid cargoes in vitro and in vivo
• Apply knowledge of innate immunology and establish in vitro screening assays for various nucleic acid modalities and establish criteria for release of cargo for pre-clinical research
• Collaborate closely with CMC, molecular biology and cell biology teams to screen nucleic acid cargoes (immunogenicity assessment etc.) and ensure timely delivery of high-quality data and summarize results
• Ensure development, qualification, and validation of bioanalytical assays in compliance with applicable guidelines
• Design, optimize, and execute biodistribution studies (flow cytometry and histological techniques) for LNP/nucleic acid therapies
• Design, establish and execute assays for assessing various in vivo immunogenicity predictors for LNP/nucleic acid therapies including but not limited to biomarkers, cytokines, complement activation and anti-drug antibodies (ADA) in rodents and NHPs
• Design, develop, optimize, and execute bioanalytical assays to support nonclinical studies, including PK, PD, biomarker, and immunogenicity endpoints
• Execute test procedures such as sample extraction and measurement by Flow Cytometry, ELISA, MSD, Luminex, bDNA, ddPCR and perform data interpretation
• Analyze and summarize scientific data and maintain timely documentation and completion of electronic lab notebooks in compliance with industry guidelines
• Present at project team meetings and to relevant stakeholders
• Mentor, coach, and manage junior scientists

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in immunology, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, cell biology or related field with 5 plus years of industry experience
• Demonstrated expertise in innate immune signaling and nucleic acid sensing pathways for DNA and mRNA
• Proficiency in multicolor flow cytometry, ddPCR, ligand binding assays, leukopak processing and isolation of PBMCs
• Experience with LNPs, and nucleic acid modalities preferred
• Experience developing bioanalytical methods to measure drugs and biomarkers for LNP delivery of nucleic acid cargoes
• Experience managing junior scientists
• Strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail, strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills

More About Flagship Pioneering

We are creative optimists and we would love for you to consider joining our team! See all our open opportunities across Flagship Pioneering’s Ecosystem!

Flagship Pioneering conceives, creates, resources, and develops first-in-category life sciences companies to transform human health and sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, the firm has applied a unique hypothesis-driven innovation process to originate and foster more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in over $34 billion in aggregate value. To date, Flagship is backed by more than $4.4 billion of aggregate capital commitments, of which over $1.9 billion has been deployed toward the founding and growth of its pioneering companies alongside more than $10 billion of follow-on investments from other institutions. The current Flagship ecosystem comprises 41 transformative companies, including: Axcella Health (NASDAQ: AXLA), Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Evelo Biosciences (NASDAQ: EVLO), Foghorn Therapeutics, Indigo Ag, Kaleido Biosciences (NASDAQ: KLDO), Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Rubius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RUBY), Sana Biotechnology, Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB), and Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SYRS).

We believe pioneering is best done by teams, and that it is a process that can be taught, learned, and replicated. Learn more about our Company Creation Model .

Flagship Pioneering and our ecosystem companies are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies:

Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

The salary range for this role is $126,000 - $181,500. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Serif Biomedicines currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Serif Biomedicines's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.