Scientist I, In Vivo CAR Engineering

South San Francisco, CA

The Company

Link Cell Therapies is developing a best-in-class logic-gate technology to spur a new generation of cell therapies for patients with solid tumors. Link’s “AND” gates require two cancer-associated targets for a CAR T cell to attack cancer cells, thereby providing specificity for killing of tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. Combined with additional technologies under development, Link will advance a suite of exciting internal therapeutic programs while exploring opportunities for value creation with strategic partners.

Job Description

Link Cell Therapies is seeking a highly motivated Scientist I to join our Cell Therapy team and support the preclinical progression of solid tumor therapies within our development pipeline. Reporting to the Platform Development Lead, the successful applicant will be responsible for characterizing retargeted lentiviral vectors (LVVs) for cell-selective transduction, and for evaluating their performance in primary human T cells. This is an opportunity to join an exciting new clinical-stage company during the discovery phase and to dive deep into logic-gated and in vivo CAR engineering platforms.

Responsibilities

• Characterize viral vector compositions, including various envelope pseudotypes and binder-fusogen designs for cell-selective transduction
• Evaluate vector performance in human PBMCs and T cells, including transduction efficiency, T cell selectivity, and off-target transduction of other cell types
• Characterize CAR-T cells by multicolor flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assays, and cytokine secretion readouts
• Contribute to the design of in vivo studies, as well as the interpretation of transduction, persistence, and biodistribution data from humanized mouse models
• Develop appropriate analytical approaches for complex datasets, and present findings to Cell Therapy leadership, project team and the broader company
• Generate rigorous, well-documented data packages that enable program decisions
• Maintain a thorough and current electronic laboratory notebook

Required Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant life sciences field with 0-2 years of postdoctoral or industry experience, or M.S. with 3+ years of relevant experience
• Competency in lentiviral packaging and titration, including determination of functional and physical titers
• Expertise in handling human PBMC and T cells, including PBMC isolation, T cell culture, transduction and expansion
• Proficiency in immune cell phenotyping via multicolor flow cytometry (panel design, acquisition, and analysis), as well as T cell functional assays to evaluate cytotoxicity and cytokine output
• Know-how in molecular cloning and vector design
• Strong working understanding of T cell biology as it applies to LVV retargeting design
• Self-motivator with strong organizational skills and a willingness to learn
• Collaborative and communicative, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment involving a constant exchange of ideas and sharing of data
• Applies astute judgment to data analysis by utilizing approaches that are fit-for-purpose
• Proficiency with Benchling, Microsoft Office, GraphPad Prism and FlowJo

Ths is a hands-on, lab-based and on-site position based in South San Francisco, CA.

The salary range for this position is $115,000-145,000 USD annually. We encourage candidates of all levels to apply as there is sometimes flexibility on job level and responsibilities. Compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including experience and qualifications.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.