Senior/Principal Research Associate, LNP Discovery/PD (Boston)

Overview

Are you a scientific leader with a passion for advancing RNA therapeutics and the drive to make a difference in the world? 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 assembling a team of scientists, leaders, and operations specialists to address major barriers to success in RNA therapeutics.

About Fapon Biotech:

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Guangdong, China, Fapon Group focuses on product R&D and services of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), biological therapies, and precision diagnostics and treatments. Core values emphasize foreseeing and preparing for future demands. Fapon has three major businesses: raw material solutions, IVD ecosystem platform service, and intelligent digital diagnosis and treatment. Fapon’s expansion into therapeutics includes IND approval from the FDA for a differentiated CD47 antibody drug, signaling growth in therapeutics.

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

You can learn more about us by visiting

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

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 assembling a team of scientists, leaders, and operations specialists to solve barriers to success in RNA therapeutics.

About Fapon Biotech:

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Guangdong, China, Fapon Group focuses on product R&D and services of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), biological therapies, and precision diagnostics and treatments. Core values emphasize foreseeing and preparing for what the future demands. Fapon has three major businesses: raw material solutions, IVD ecosystem platform service, and intelligent digital diagnosis and treatment. Fapon’s recent expansion into therapeutics includes 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 worldwide, forming a global R&D, production, marketing, and service network with products sold in 61 countries and regions.

You can learn more about us by visiting

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

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

We are seeking a scientific contributor to lead and execute novel LNP formulation process development activity for the delivery of circular RNA therapeutics at scale. This role will spearhead LNP process development/scale-up activity and be responsible for designing and executing DOE-based formulation process optimization. The candidate will engineer and functionalize LNPs, develop analytics for formulation quality control, and develop processes to improve formulation at scale. The role involves collaboration across teams, planning and running animal studies with a cross-functional group of scientists, and supporting the growth and development of junior scientists. The ideal candidate is a chemical engineer or pharmaceutical sciences professional with strong LNP formulation, optimization, and process development experience, eager to contribute to building an early startup and guiding the scientific vision of the company. They will be engaged in science and driven by our mission to create therapies that help people in ways 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 drug 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 to formulate, characterize, develop, and support assessment of efficacy
• Plan and coordinate animal studies with the 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 documentation to support regulatory filings

Qualifications

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 a 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

Additional Information

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