Research Associate - CRISPR/AAV

Company Overview

Nephrogen is a VC-backed seed-stage biotech company developing curative gene therapies for kidney diseases. Our initial focus is on polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which affects 600,000 Americans and has no cure or effective treatment. Nephrogen was founded by Demetri Maxim (a PKD patient and scientist from Stanford University), Vivek Bhalla, and George Church. Nephrogen is headquartered at BioLabs at NYULangone, a vibrant state-of-the-art accelerator with over 40 Seed and Series A biotech companies, in the heart of New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.

We are looking for a Research Associate to join our team and contribute to the development and discovery of next-generation gene therapies for kidney diseases. This role offers the opportunity to engage in high-impact translational research within an early-stage, fast-paced startup environment. The ideal candidate will have a BS or MS with prior experience in a biology laboratory environment and possess a strong work ethic, ability to work independently, attention to detail, and capable of juggling several tasks and responsibilities concurrently.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and characterize adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) for in vivo injections.
• Perform mammalian cell culture and transfections to validate therapeutic candidates.
• Perform molecular biology techniques such as PCR/qPCR, Western Blot, and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
• Document, compile, and analyze experimental data.
• Present findings at team meetings and national conferences.
• Be involved in conversations with investors, clinicians, and other external partners.
• Handle mice for breeding, injections, and tissue isolations.

Desired Skills and Experience

• BS or MS with at least one year of previous biology research experience.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Hard working.
• Experience with CRISPR-Cas editing or AAV is recommended.
• Experience with NGS is recommended but not required.
• Passionate about working in a fast-paced startup environment.

Our Scientific Advisory Board includes several field leaders in kidney disease and genetics, including Terry Watnick (NIH PKD Center) and Mark Kay (Stanford University). Our team has spent the last 10 years solving the key bottleneck in the field of getting high efficiency delivery to the kidney. We developed novel AAV capsid variants that target kidney epithelial cells and are combining this technology with CRISPR-Cas genome editing to develop one-time curative treatments for PKD and other genetic kidney diseases. We’re boldly committed to applying our innovative technology towards reimagining kidney disease patient care.