Reports to: Director, Gene Therapy Research
Position Summary
Working within Fractyl’s Gene Therapy Research Team, the Scientist II/Senior Scientist will be integral to the discovery and development of AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment and cure of diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases. As a subject matter expert in islet biology and metabolic disease, successful candidates will be responsible for contributing to Fractyl’s lead and pipeline programs with a primary focus on developing and executing relevant assays supporting proof of concept, human/animal translational modeling, and construct screening for the treatment of diabetes. Achieving this goal will require expertise and hands-on experience working with primary pancreatic islets and a deep understanding of islet biology and metabolism as it pertains to diabetes. With a desire to overcome obstacles, the Scientist II/Senior Scientist will drive programs forward and ensure timely and effective accomplishment of program goals in close collaboration with the Gene Therapy Research team, external CROs, and collaborators. The position requires enthusiasm, passion, attention to detail, team-orientation, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to overcome obstacles to drive forward the program.
Primary Responsibilities
- Design, optimize, and perform in vitro and ex vivo molecular assays to assess delivery, expression, and activity of AAV-based gene therapies in transduced islet cell health and function
- Contribute to in vivo data generation via the isolation and characterization of islets from treated animal models
- Engineer the pancreas with properties that elicit relevant biological effects for disease targets
- Identify and bring to Fractyl new technologies and key biological concepts and methods to support the mission of the gene therapy program
- Manage relevant CRO activities including in vitro cell model development and assessment of islet transgene delivery, expression, and activity
- Drive forward program goals to meet team objectives, working closely with CROs and internal teams
- Prepare technical reports, summaries, protocols, and quantitative analysis for experimental results
- Mentor, train, and develop junior research scientists
- Perform all activities in compliance with applicable regulations, Fractyl’s policies and guidelines, including, but not limited to, timely documentation of activities and maintaining all required applicable training
- Bring a “can do” spirit to work and deliver on other responsibilities as assigned
Education or Certification Requirements
- PhD in Biology, Physiology, or relevant research field
- OR Masters with 10+ years of industry experience in a highly related research field
Professional Work Experience
- 3-5+ years of highly relevant post-PhD experience either in an academic or industry setting
- Applicable experience in biotech and/or pharmaceutical industries preferred.
- Management and/or mentorship experience of associate scientists and/or scientists preferred.
Qualifications and Skills
- Extensive experience investigating and characterizing primary pancreatic islets [mouse and/or human] required
- Experience in islet isolation (e.g., mouse, NHP, pig) preferred.
- Experience in mammalian cell culture and cell-based assays including beta-cell models
- Experience working with various animal models of metabolic disease [e.g., db/db, DIO, MASH models]
- Proficient in Flow Cytometry, Microscopy, IF imaging, ELISA and other immunochemical assays
- Proficient in molecular biology techniques, such as DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, RT-PCR, Western Blot
- Prior research in gene therapy approaches preferred
- Experience with transfection and AAV transduction preferred
- Experience working with CROs preferred
- Experience in research that advances discovery programs to IND/CTA filing preferred
Other Essentials and Key Success Factors
- Successful track record of working in high-growth and dynamic organizations
- Demonstrated record of intellectual curiosity, innovation and creative problem solving with an entrepreneurial spirit
- Ability to lead fast-paced projects with a keen sense of urgency to get the job done well
- Evidence of "hands-on" experience and expertise
- Proven and successful track record as a team-player and collaborator in small working environments
- Highly organized and detail oriented with a passion to deliver quality results
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience translating technical concepts into user-friendly documentation
- Highest levels of professionalism, confidence, personal values and ethical standards
Travel
- Limited travel may be required for the role (<10%) for conference attendance and monitoring CROs.
The description and requirements outlined above are general; additional requirements may apply.
