Scientist I, Antibody, Cell, and Gene Technologies

When you join the Caring Cross team, you will become part of a dynamic team determined to accelerate the development and dissemination of advanced gene therapies throughout the world. We develop and create access to life-saving cures for people living with HIV, cancer, and genetic diseases. The R&D branch of Caring Cross is seeking a scientifically enthusiastic, motivated, collaborative, yet independent scientist.

Key Responsibilities

• Construct, propagate, and maintain diverse binder and CAR variant libraries in human cells and potentially yeast.
• Design and execute iterative selection and enrichment campaigns against HIV-1 envelope-expressing or malignant target cells, including sorting and function-based selection.
• Produce, titer, and apply lentiviral vector preparations; transduce libraries to target cells.
• Perform multiparameter flow cytometry and FACS.
• Isolate and culture human cells, including fragile, primary, and/or limited-input populations.
• Prepare nucleic acid for next-generation sequencing
• Develop new assays and workflows, including methodologies with no established protocol. 
• Handle HIV-1-derived material (potentially replication competent) and replication-incompetent lentiviral particles under the applicable biosafety practices and institutional approvals.

Required Qualifications

• A Master’s degree (4+ years) or PhD working in a relevant discipline (molecular virology, molecular immunology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, or molecular biology)
• Hands-on mammalian tissue culture experience.
• Molecular cloning competence. 
• Understanding of cell isolation and enrichment.
• Assay development experience and how to generate appropriate controls.
• Readiness to apply unfamiliar thinking and unvalidated techniques.
• Ability to work alone and in tandem with the respective advisors.

Favorable Skills

• A diverse knowledge base is preferred, including knowledge of lentiviral biology/ virology (especially HIV-1), general biochemistry (e.g. K_d, affinity, avidity, especially with respect to antibodies), and molecular biology. 
• Some basic experience in flow cytometry. 
• Application of statistics (when appropriate) to next-generation sequencing.
• Ability to be experimentally flexible, including changing protocols on the fly, is a plus.