Principal Scientist, Pooled Functional Screening
$163,000–$214,500 year
On-siteCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Job Summary
Plan, execute, and analyze high-throughput pooled screens using FACS as the primary selection modality, owning the full experimental cycle end to end. Design and build custom DNA and oligo libraries for screening, including barcoding strategies, and produce, transduce, and functionally titer lentiviral libraries. Optimize FACS-based selection strategies across primary and primary-like cell lines, culture and screen these models, and prepare sorted populations for next-generation sequencing. Analyze sequencing data to call hits and translate findings into insights for team meetings. Partner with protein-engineering and translational colleagues to close the loop between library design and downstream validation, while establishing best practices for rapid data turnaround.
Required Qualifications
- PhD. in molecular or cell biology, genetics, bioengineering, or a similar field
- 10+ years of industry or postdoctoral experience
- Extensive hands-on experience running high-throughput pooled screens with FACS-based selection
- Proficiency designing DNA and oligo libraries for high-throughput screening
- Strong flow cytometry and cell-sorting expertise
- Hands-on experience culturing and screening in primary and primary-like cell lines
- Familiarity and comfort with lentiviral transduction, production, and titering
- Experience with genomic sequencing preparation and with analyzing sequencing data to identify barcodes or variants
- A motivated team-player with strong organizational skills
- Leadership instincts
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Takes initiative and drives creative scientific direction proactively
Desired Qualifications
- Bioinformatics fluency for count-based screen analysis and scripting in Python and/or R
- NGS QC (TapeStation / Bioanalyzer, qPCR) and Illumina workflows
- Awareness of pooled-screening pitfalls (template switching, barcode collision, multiple integration) and mitigations
- Understanding of the secretory pathway, folding, and post-translational modifications
- Comfort setup and use of electronic lab notebooks (e.g., Benchling)
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