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Postdoctoral Associates
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

The MIT Biological Engineering Department’s Synthetic Biology Center (SBC) has openings for seven postdoctoral associates. Will join the labs of Doug Lauffenburger, Tim Lu, and Ron Weiss and a team of researchers in the Pfizer-MIT Partnership in Synthetic Biology, a four year, highly collaborative, sponsored research program designed to translate leading discoveries and inventions in systems and synthetic biology to advance drug discovery, development, and biomanufacturing technologies.
Successful candidates will join an academia-industry team working on new strategies for the assembly, transfer, and multiple site-specific integration of large heterologous DNA constructs into the genomes of mammalian cells commonly used for large batch production of viral gene therapy vectors, monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutic proteins at high expression levels.

Constitutive, inducible, and dynamically self-regulatable embodiments will be constructed and tested that will enable programmable synthetic genetic circuits useful for transcriptional, translational and post-translational optimization of product yield, quality and precise glycosylation state. Successful applicants will help design and execute assays to evaluate genetic stability of cell clone lines; collect data using flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, genome walking, next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing, capillary gel electrophoresis of glycans, proteins and nucleic acids (LabChip), Westerns, Southerns, Northerns, ELISA, Octet, viral titer, and other analytic technologies; communicate results verbally and in writing; draft IP disclosures; and present to sponsor and to the scientific community through talks and publications. Other responsibilities include molecular cloning, mammalian cell culture, transfection, FACS, ordinary differential equation (ODE) and phenomenological (empirical) modeling, data analysis and presentation, and other tasks as needed.

Requirements: a Ph.D. in biological sciences, computer science, engineering, physics, math, or related field; experience in more than one of the following: mammalian cell culture, large scale DNA assembly and characterization, eukaryotic genome-editing using ZFN, TALE and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies, synthetic gene activators and repressors, next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, and/or computational methods and tools for analysis and statistics; biological training and experience in one or more of the following: synthetic biology circuit design, molecular biology, protein engineering, immunology, virology, and/or cell biology; strong organizational, analytical, problem solving, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to maintain confidentiality and security of project information; and ability to work as part of a team and on individual projects. Seek highly motivated researchers with excellent documentation skills who are able to contribute in a multidisciplinary team setting, prioritize and perform multiple tasks in a dynamic environment, and execute detailed technical protocols meticulously. Specific skills in molecular biology, genome editing and programming would be ideal.

Interested candidates may apply online at http://jobs.mit.edu/. Please reference job number 12021 and indicate where you saw this posting.

MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability.
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