Arrakis Therapeutics

Do you have the passion to join a group whose mission is to pioneer the discovery of a new class of medicines to treat diseases unaddressed by today’s therapies?  Does it excite you to be a part of a company with a focus on cancer and genetically validated targets in other disease areas with unmet medical need?  If yes, you may be a great fit to join Arrakis on our path to bring powerful new therapies to millions of patients. 

Your Impact at Arrakis

The mission of Arrakis Therapeutics is to extend small molecule medicines into new realms of biology by discovering and developing compounds that selectively target RNA (“rSM”). By targeting distinct RNA structure/function relationships, Arrakis is generating drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action for molecular targets that are challenging to drug in disease areas with high unmet medical need. In particular, we are targeting structures in mRNA to modulate the expression of proteins which themselves are undruggable. Arrakis is addressing a large number of different therapeutic targets by altering splicing, translation or decay of transcripts. 

 

The Arrakis Target Biology and Translational Medicine (TBTM) team is seeking a talented Associate Scientist or Senior Associate Scientist to employ molecular and cellular biology efforts to validate targets. Using a variety of molecular and cell biology techniques, the successful candidate will have an opportunity to make a large impact on our effort to enable the development of small molecule therapeutics for unmet medical needs. This individual will be a key player in a matrixed team powering collaboration efforts to profile key features of target proteins and mRNA transcripts to both identify mechanistic vulnerabilities and enable cell assays for target modulation. Immediate goals will involve determining protein half-life and establishing cellular screening assays such as HiBiT and other plate-based assays.  The longer-term vision for growth opportunities in this role include increasing responsibility for innovating molecular and cellular biological approaches to therapeutic target validation to support expanding sophistication of our evolving rSM platform.  

The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a collaborative, fast-paced start-up environment, leveraging a high degree of integrity, intelligence, and innovation to make a large impact on our mission. They will be part of a team with diverse roles in cell and molecular biology and will also have exposure to biochemistry, biophysics, and computational groups.

 

Job Responsibilities:

 

• Independently execute cell and molecular biology experiments to validate key aspects of target biology in mammalian cells on a timely basis to support external collaboration efforts.
• Develop, innovate and optimize biochemical assays using cutting-edge technologies to assess target biology such as protein half-life (e.g. BONCAT).
• Help solidify the cell-based assay strategy by leveraging a variety of formats such as HiBiT, MSD, ELISA, and HTRF to develop screening and counterscreening assays
• Interface with other groups to transfer molecular biology assays into the TBTM group.

• Generate new and innovative approaches to technical challenges by exhibiting a probing mind and penetrating insights.

• Carefully document experiments in an electronic lab notebook.
• Communicate results to collaborators and in Research and project meetings.
• Work effectively with a cross-functional biology, informatics, assay development and chemistry team to deliver high-quality results in an efficient manner.

 

Requirements:

• B.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or Biology with 5+ years of relevant experience or M.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or Biology with 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency in a broad array of cell, biochemical, and molecular biology methodologies such as culture of cell lines and primary cells, western blotting/WES, qPCR, MSD, HTRF, HiBiT, and CRISPR.
• Proven track record of developing and optimizing robust assays, including troubleshooting, and establishing SOPs. 

• Ability to structure and process qualitative and quantitative data and draw insightful conclusions.
• Keeps an open mind for interpreting data and is willing to apply creative solutions.
• Fosters a positive work environment by collaborating with teammates and communicating with transparency.

• Exhibits passion and excitement over work. Has a can-do attitude without losing objectivity.

• Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions and copes effectively with complexity and change.

 

Interested in learning more about Arrakis?  Click on the links below!

https://arrakistx.com/arrakis-achieves-escape-velocity/

                                                                                                                

https://arrakistx.com/following-our-pole-star-to-a-transformative-collaboration/

https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/arrakis-roche-deal-drugging-rna/575695/

https://xconomy.com/boston/2020/04/08/roche-pays-190m-to-start-rna-drug-alliance-with-arrakis-therapeutics/

Arrakis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.