Senior/Principal Research Associate, LNP Discovery/PD

About Mote Therapeutics: 

Are you a scientific leader with a passion for advancing RNA therapeutics and the drive to make a difference in the world? Do you want to be a part of a dynamic and innovative team at the forefront of RNA medicines? If so, join our new RNA Venture and be a part of the revolution in RNA therapeutics!

Backed by Fapon Biotech, an international leader in in vitro diagnostics, biologics, and precision medicines, Mote Therapeutics is an innovative Lexington-based biotechnology startup building the RNA medicines of tomorrow. Led by a pioneer in the field of RNA therapeutics and supported by Fapon’s Greater Boston R&D Center of Excellence, we’re pulling together a team of talented scientists, leaders, and operations specialists to solve some of the major barriers to success that RNA therapeutics face.

About Fapon Biotech:

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Guangdong, China, Fapon Group is mainly engaged in product R&D and services of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), biological therapies, and precision diagnostics and treatments. With our core value of "foresee and prepare for what the future demands", Fapon has historically focused on three major businesses: raw material solutions, IVD ecosystem platform service, and intelligent digital diagnosis and treatment. Fapon’s recent expansion into therapeutics was recently marked by success with the receipt of IND approval from the FDA for a differentiated CD47 antibody drug, the first in a rapidly expanding therapeutics effort.

With a global footprint, Fapon has established major production and sales (R&D) bases in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, the United States, Germany, India and other locations throughout the world, forming a global R&D, production, marketing, and service network with products being widely sold in 61 countries and regions.

You can learn more about us by visiting https://en.faponbiotech.com

An equal-opportunity employer, Fapon welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce.

Key Responsibilities:

We are seeking a scientific contributor to lead and execute novel LNP formulation process development activity for the delivery of circular RNA therapeutic at scale. This role will spearhead LNP process development/scale up activity and would be responsible for designing and executing DOE-based formulation process optimization. They would engineer and functionalize LNPs, develop analytics for formulation quality control, and develop processes to improve formulation at scale. The candidate would have the opportunity to work in a collaboration-oriented role in which they would coordinate with other teams, plan and run animal studies with a cross-functional group of scientists, and support the growth and career development of junior scientists. The ideal candidate is a chemical engineer/pharmaceutical major with strong LNP formulation, optimization, and process development experience, who is excited by the idea of being a core participant in building an early startup and guiding the scientific vision of the company. They would be engaged in science and driven by our mission to create therapies that help people in ways that are currently impossible.

• Establish, execute and document protocols for preparation and characterization of targeted LNP formulations with nucleic acid cargo for in vitro and in vivo studies
• Design and execute DOE-driven studies for LNP composition, mixing parameters and process optimization to improve formulation quality, stability, delivery efficiency and functional activity
• Develop cell and molecular biology assays to assess the delivery efficiency of RNA cargo in mammalian primary cells to facilitate development of therapeutics drugs pipelines
• Assist in the buildout of formulation and analytical capabilities with focus on delivery with nanoparticle technology, lyophilization and process development for scale up/production
• Contribute to patent applications related to the delivery technology
• Support technology transfer to CDMOs and Industry Partners
• Foster collaborative relationships across the team and company and engage in a positive and exciting work environment
• Contribute to hiring, training, and collaborating with scientists (as needed) to formulate, characterize, develop, and support assessment of efficacy
• Plan and coordinate animal studies with in vivo team
• Author technical documents, including SOPs for formulation processes and analytical methods, maintain diligent records and demonstrate proficiency in scientific communication
• Support high-quality documentations to support regulatory filings

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/MS in chemical engineering, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or related field, preferably with industry experience of 2-5 years for MS or 5-8 years for BS candidates.
• Strong track record of productivity in nanoparticle research with an understanding of key challenges in nanoparticle/formulation scale-up and translation
• Prior experience in developing lyophilization protocols for nanoparticle formulation, and stability testing is a plus
• Technical proficiency with LNP formulation of RNA and analytical assays for particle characterization
• Technical proficiency in developing cell and molecular biology assays to support drug product development
• A minimum of 3-4 years of experience working with lipid nanoparticles for RNA delivery in any capacity

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated capability in LNP formulation for nucleic acid delivery is must
• LNP process development and scale-up experience is desired
• Experience with tissue-specific targeted delivery of LNP-nucleic acid formulation is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to present complex technical topics to a wide range of audiences with varying technical depth
• Demonstrated proficiency in record keeping and documentations to support SOP generation, technology transfer and preferably regulatory filings

What We Offer:

At our RNA Venture, we aim to outmatch the typical benefits you might see in an early startup. We offer:

• Financial security through competitive compensation, incentives, and retirement plan
• Health care and well-being programs including competitive medical, dental, vision & medical benefits
• Generous paid time off including vacation, sick time, holidays, and winter shutdown
• 401(k) retirement savings with a generous company match
• Commuter benefits
• Other comprehensive voluntary benefits include but are not limited to pet insurance, life insurance, employee assistance program (EAP), discount programs, and many more
• We continue to optimize our benefits & wellness programs as we grow our organization to make sure they meet our diverse workforce needs
• The stability of a startup backed by a company with a record of strong financial performance year over year