
Scientist I/II, Early Discovery Biology
About Us
Jnana Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its next-generation RAPID chemoproteomics platform to discover medicines for highly validated, challenging-to-drug targets to treat diseases with high unmet needs. Jnana is focused on developing first- and best-in-class therapies to treat a wide range of diseases, including rare diseases and immune-mediated diseases. Jnana’s lead program, JNT-517, which targets an allosteric site on the phenylalanine transporter SLC6A19, is a potential first-in-class oral approach for the treatment of PKU, a rare genetic metabolic disease. Located in Boston, Jnana brings together scientific leaders in small molecule drug discovery and development, and a highly experienced management team. For more information, please visit www.jnanatx.com and follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.
At Jnana, you'll join a diverse, passionate team dedicated to advancing therapies for challenging diseases. Our collaborative, purpose-driven culture fosters innovation, urgency, and belonging—making Jnana a great place to work!
About the Opportunity
Jnana Therapeutics is seeking a molecular and cell biology specialist to help drive the expansion of our early discovery portfolio. In this role, you will be joining the multi-disciplinary Discovery Technologies team to validate small molecule binders and establish on-target cellular activity. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of developing novel cell-based assays and engineering cell lines.
This is an exciting opportunity for a scientifically curious and driven scientist who embraces both challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm, contributing beyond your core responsibilities to help bring innovative medicines to patients.
Responsibilities
- Lead efforts to design and develop cell-based assays to functionally characterize small molecule binders arising from our RAPID platform.
- Perform structure activity relationship (SAR) assays to drive medicinal chemistry.
- Become a subject matter expert on target biology and disease area.
- Generate and characterize cell lines for RAPID platform screening.
- Critically evaluate potential new targets for technical feasibility and disease relevance.
- Work collaboratively with Discovery Technology colleagues across protein biochemistry and structural biology.
- Leverage drug discovery experience to impact Jnana’s pipeline and strategy.
- Deliver regular presentations of your data to colleagues and leadership.
Preferred Qualifications & Past Experience
- PhD in Biology, Cell Biology, or relevant discipline with 0-2 years of industry experience.
- B.S. or M.S. with 6+ years of industry experience and a strong scientific track record.
- Experience in cellular readouts of protein activity, e.g. transcriptional/translational reporters, NanoBit/BRET, qPCR, HTRF, flow cytometry.
- Well-versed in vector selection, construct design/engineering, and a range of gene delivery technologies (transfection, transduction, electroporation, CRISPR knock-in).
- Hands-on experience overcoming challenges in cell line engineering and assay development.
- Experience with protein biochemistry, biophysics, or structure is a plus. There is the opportunity to contribute to these areas, as well, with relevant experience.
- Hands-on experience with liquid handling instrumentation (Tecan, Viaflo, Biotek) is a plus.
- Must be a committed, collaborative self-starter with a passion for learning and problem-solving.
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