Scientist / Senior Scientist - Immunology

Scientist / Senior Scientist - Immunology

Company Overview

GC Therapeutics is the first genome-wide cell landscape exploration company using an integrated synthetic biology and AI-driven platform for cell programming. Its patent-pending and proprietary pluripotent stem cell differentiation technology platform TFome™ was developed in Professor George Church’s lab, a pioneer in synthetic biology, and allows for the development of unique cell therapies with significantly streamlined manufacturing, improved cell quality, efficiency and speed. GC Therapeutics is based in Cambridge, MA. For additional information, please visit www.gc-tx.com.

Job Purpose

GC Therapeutics is seeking a talented and highly motivated Scientist or Senior Scientist for our Discoveryteam. This role will apply immunology approaches to bring a new class of cellular therapies to patients using GCTx’s Human TFomeTM platform, a synthetic biology-driven technology to differentiate human stem cells. The candidate will have strong expertise in immunology with extensive knowledge in the cell biology of the immune system. The scientist will be responsible for daily tasks involving the development and functional characterization of novel cell therapies in immunology and beyond, both in vitro and in vivo.

Duties and Responsibilities

General Laboratory Roles:

• Responsible for in vitro and in vivo experimental design, data generation, analysis, and communication of results to supervisor, and team members.
• Provide scientific and technical supervision to junior staff or contract research organizations (CRO) for defined projects.
• Maintain a detailed laboratory journal, summarize results, and create presentations for internal group meetings.
• Exemplify scientific curiosity and deep expertise with relevant literature and cutting-edge technologies to advance research directions.
• Work with other members of the research team and within GCTx to accomplish company goals.
• Follow all safe laboratory practices and company policies.

Specific Responsibilities:

Cellular Biology:

• Design and execute experiments in cell culture, including functionality assays using immune cells.
• Design and conduct in vitro assays to assess immune response and function, including in vitrodifferentiation assay, cytotoxicity, cell killing assays, proliferation, cytokine production, colony forming assay, and multiparameter immunophenotyping.
• Optimize, refine, and tailor in vitro immunology protocols for candidate cell therapeutic products.
• Perform assays to analyze immune response in vitro (e.g. flow cytometry, proliferation and suppression assays, and ELISA) and establish QC and safety metrics.
• Culture cell lines including maintenance and analysis (e.g. cell culture, expansion, transfection, preparation of media, passaging, cryopreservation).

In Vivo Biology:

• Design and execute immunology-related experiments in animal models including immune engraftment and xenotransplantation assays.
• Optimize, refine, and tailor in vivo immunology protocols for candidate cell therapeutic products.
• Perform assays to analyze immune response in vivo such as flow cytometry, survival analysis, and serial transplantation.
• Coordinate and supervise academic collaborators and contract research organizations (CROs) for animal studies. Manage relationships with collaborators and CROs.
• Establish IACUC protocols and ensure compliance with regulations.

Molecular Biology:

• Utilize techniques such as PCR, molecular cloning, and plasmid isolation.
• Preferred: Characterize target cell types using next-generation sequencing methods (e.g. bulk and single cell RNA-seq) and other gene expression analysis techniques.

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications:

• Ph.D. degree in immunology, immune cell biology, stem cell biology, cell biology, bioengineering, biochemistry, or related discipline and 5 years of laboratory work experience in academia or industry.
• Proven experience in immunology laboratory techniques.
• Proven experience with multicolor flow cytometry.
• Required expertise in designing animal studies.
• Hands-on experience with injecting or transplanting cells into animals.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to perform tasks independently and manage both junior staff and external collaborators.
• Proficient in analysis, presentation, and documentation of scientific data as well as preparation of scientific reports.
• Effective communicator with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills and ability to prioritize and multitask.
• Ability to work in a laboratory environment full time including some weekends.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Practical familiarity with immune cell development.
• Experience in genome editing and in vivo immunology assays using immune deficient, humanized and syngeneic mouse models to optimize cell-based therapeutics and understand mechanism of action.
• Experience with pluripotent stem cells (e.g. hiPSCs).
• Proven track record and strong publications in immune cell biology or immunology.
• Knowledge of R, Python and FlowJo.