Principal Scientist, In Vitro Pharmacology

COMPANY DESCRIPTION Abiologics, Inc. is a privately held, early-stage biotechnology company on a mission to make biology better through an innovative therapeutic modality. We are pioneering the development of Synteins™, a transformational class of macromolecular medicines unlocked by novel synthetic and computational technologies. Abiologics is actively seeking exceptional scientists who are passionate about driving therapeutic modality innovation in biotechnology. Abiologics was founded in Flagship Pioneering’s venture creation engine, where companies such as Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Generate Biomedicines were conceived and created. Since Flagship’s founding in 2000, the firm has originated and fostered the development of more than 100 scientific ventures resulting in more than 500 issued patents and more than 50 clinical trials for novel therapeutic agents. THE ROLE We are looking for a highly motivated, experienced cell biologist and assay developer to join our growing team and lead in vitro pharmacology efforts. In this role, the successful candidate will be responsible for conceiving, developing and executing in vitro pharmacology plans to support the progression of the Abiologics pipeline. This role includes hands-on work in the lab, as well as leadership of a cross-functional project team and mentorship of more junior scientists. Occasionally, the incumbent may contribute to in vivo and ex-vivo pharmacology activities to progress projects and the platform. In addition, this role will collaborate cross-functionally with a diverse design-make-test team across Abiologics and have the opportunity to impact platform and company build-out. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Design, develop and execute cell-based assays to assess Syntein TM activity, target engagement and mechanism of action to drive discovery programs Lead cell biology efforts within the Pharmacology team to identify and implement relevant cell-based assays for diverse target classes and disease areas Lead a cross-functional project team, including driving strategy for progressing multiple hit series Collaborate with the Pharmacology team on biochemistry and biophysics projects and provide cell biology expertise and guidance to junior team members Contribute to in vivo and ex vivo pharmacology activities to progress projects and the platform Collaborate cross-functionally to enable novel methods, assays and screening workflows Ensure rapid generation and accurate reporting of high-quality data and collaborate with Computational Design and Chemistry teams to drive design-make-test cycles Effectively communicate scientific findings and ideas to a diverse team both informally and at project team meetings PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS PhD in molecular or cell biology or related discipline with minimum 7+ years relevant experience (with at least 5 in industry) required Technical expertise with mammalian cell culture including establishing and maintaining cell lines, transient and stable transfection, lentiviral transduction, and reporter cell lines Proficient in industry-standard cell-based assays and bioanalytical techniques including TR-FRET, ELISA, Western blot, flow cytometry, and reporter gene assays; experience with cellular/high content imaging and image analysis a plus Experienced with primary cell culture and characterization, including tissue dissociation Experienced in assay development and testing in model systems and human with good understanding of analytical and pre-analytical methods and solutions In vivo pharmacology expertise highly desired Demonstrated ability to independently design, develop and optimize diverse cell-based functional assays (e.g., intracellular signaling) and interpret complex results Disease biology expertise in oncology is highly desirable, with experience advancing compounds from discovery through preclinical development Proficiency in laboratory automation and semi-automated screening workf ... (truncated, view full listing at source)