Research Scientist

Are you ready to join Connecticut Innovation’s vibrant community of innovators? Connecticut Innovations (“CI”) is Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm, and we are passionate about serving our portfolio of 220 companies across various industries, with strengths in life sciences, technology, and climate tech.

Come join RNAConnect as a Research Scientist!

About RNAConnect

RNA is the central biomolecule of life, as it connects the sequence of DNA to the production of proteins and serves as a structural building block for critical components within the cell. Despite the importance of detecting, quantifying and sequencing RNAs to exploit their roles in biology and medicine, the field of RNA research remains limited by the tools available for monitoring and manipulating RNA.

RNAConnect, Inc. was founded to help drive the exploding field of RNA research by providing superior enzymatic tools. We launched our first product, UltraMarathonRT (uMRT), in 2024. It is a reverse transcriptase that vastly outperforms legacy enzymes and enables the RNA community much greater visibility into the transcriptome. We’re currently building new products based on this enzyme and conducting research and development on our pipeline of other enzymes.

RNAConnect is funded by a consortium of investors including Connecticut Innovations.

Why Join RNAConnect?

• Reverse transcriptase is a foundational tool for essentially all other efforts to interrogate RNA as well as the rapidly expanding efforts to discover, develop, and manufacture RNA biomarkers, mRNA therapeutics and vaccines, and entire classes of clinical diagnostics.
• uMRT products will, for the first time, allow the scientific community to read and detect variation within whole transcriptomes, revealing previously ‘invisible’ information that is critical for understanding all layers of biological function, from patients to single cells.
• We will launch multiple products within the next 18 months and increase our employees by > 50% in 2025.
• Members of our Executive team and Board of Directors have formed multiple venture-back companies with successful exits.

Research Scientist | Role Description

We are looking for a Research Scientist to work on the projects developing Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) products. The successful candidate should possess a thorough understanding of next-generation sequencing library preparation, have expertise in commercial enzyme development, deep expertise with molecular biology tools generally, have great attention to detail, and can reliably and independently conduct a variety of complex sample preparation, optimization and analysis procedures. Responsible for review and compilation of results and data comparison against SOP acceptance criteria, methodology, protocol and product specifications.

Responsibilities:

• Develop next-generation sequencing library preparation methods by using standard molecular biology approach and creating novel solutions
• Plans and organizes work with periodic supervision
• Records detailed experimental procedures in electronic notebook
• Reviews, interprets, and analyzes data for technical, quality and compliance to protocols, methods, SOPs, client criteria and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).
• Communicates project status to project leader.
• Drafts manuscripts and poster presentations for data dissemination.
• Collaborate with colleagues in other departments, such as operation and marketing, to support product launch.
• Support new product transition from development to product release, including process/protocol validation, quality control development, beta testing coordination, protocol writing, and marketing material generation.
• Presents data at scientific conferences as well as directly to customers and partners.

Other Responsibilities:

• Sets up and maintains analytical instrumentation.
• Trains on routine operation, maintenance and theory of analytical instrumentation, SOPs and regulatory procedures and guidelines.
• Ensures QA findings are addressed appropriately.
• Aids and training to other team members.
• Problem solving, either independently or with assistance pertaining to extraction and/or instrumentation problems.

Qualifications

• PhD degree and relevant formal academic qualification in Molecular Biology or related discipline

Experience, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• 3 years of experience in NGS development in industry or commercial labs preferred
• In depth understanding of RNA-seq library prep for various sequencing approaches, such as Illumina, ONT nanopore and PacBio
• Strong data analysis and molecular biology experience
• Be self-driven and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience with bioinformatics analysis is highly desired
• Proven scholarship and leadership in their field through publications and participation in international conferences
• Excellent scientific communication and presentation skills
• Ability to both lead and contribute positively to a larger scientific team

Work Environment:

Below is listed the working environment/requirements for this role:

• Able to communicate, receive, and understand information and ideas with diverse groups of people in a comprehensible and reasonable manner.
• Able to work upright and stationary and/or standing for typical working hours.
• Able to lift and move objects up to 25 pounds.
• Able to work in non-traditional work environments.
• Able to use and learn standard office equipment and technology with proficiency.
• May have exposure to potentially hazardous elements, including infectious agents, typically found in healthcare or laboratory environments.
• Able to perform successfully under pressure while prioritizing and handling multiple projects or activities.

This role is located in Branford, CT and relocation is not available for this role. RNAConnect is an Equal Opportunity Employer.