What are the responsibilities and job description for the Scientist position at Portal?
Portal is a start-up cell engineering platform company focused on enabling next generation cell engineering and cell analytics across research and clinical applications. We are implementing a simplified approach to intracellular delivery, focused on accelerating advances enabled by the new generation of RNA, gene editing, and AI-driven technologies. Our initial product suite is based on a proprietary mechanical delivery system capable of delivering many different types of cargo to a broad range of cell types. Our technology's ability to be used stand-alone or as an integrated component of third-party systems provides a significant opportunity to broadly impact the fields of biological research and cellular therapeutics.
We are seeking a motivated and entrepreneurial scientist with a molecular biology and cell engineering background to join our team and be the first R&D member at our growing San Francisco hub. In collaboration with the Boston-based team, the successful candidate will contribute to research and clinical implementations toward our platform development and across partnering activities with biopharma and academic partners. If you’re someone who is excited by early-stage research, who doesn’t shy away from taking on diverse responsibilities, and who thrives in a fast-paced and collaborative environment, this might just be the opportunity you have been looking for.
How you’ll make an impact :
- Lead individual projects to design and validate cell modification strategies, primarily leveraging mRNA and siRNA, that could enable near or long term changes in cell function without altering the genome - various cell types including iPSCs, primary cells, and immune cells
- Contribute to platform development and testing for new implementations of Portal technology across research and clinical scales
- Establish and optimize lab operations, protocols, and workflows ensuring experimental consistency; determine optimal sourcing of molecular biology materials and closely coordinate with vendors to establish robust supply
- Evaluate functional performance of cells undergoing transient modification and demonstrate proof-of-concept for cell therapy applications
- Develop methodology and SOPs for optimal delivery of modification packages
- Work cross-functionally with the Boston team to optimize ideal delivery strategies
- Coordinate and serve as point-of-contact for studies and applications with external collaborators & clients
Your experience & qualifications :
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and to provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or gender identity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, we comply with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.