Position Title: Scientist I
Work Location: San Diego, CA, 92111
Assignment Duration: 8+ Months
Work Arrangement: Onsite

Position Summary:
We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Contract Wet Lab Scientist to join our Discovery Biology team. This role is central to a high-priority binder screening campaign, where you will be responsible for executing the bench-level assays required to identify and validate novel therapeutic candidates for T-cell-based therapies.

Background & Context:
The successful candidate will serve as a core operator within our screening funnel, focusing on the transition from binder discovery to functional validation.

Key Responsibilities:

• A significant portion of this role involves the non-viral engineering of T cells. You will be responsible for delivering genetic material (such as mRNA or transposon-based DNA systems) into primary human T cells using advanced electroporation or nucleofection platforms.
• Following transfection, you will monitor cell viability and recovery, ensuring high-efficiency expression of synthetic receptors before proceeding to functional testing.
• Beyond engineering, you will execute high-throughput screening assays to assess binder affinity and functionality.
• This includes maintaining and expanding primary human T cells and Jurkat cell lines using impeccable aseptic techniques.
• You will perform multi-color flow cytometry (FACS) to evaluate surface expression levels and phenotypic markers, using software like FlowJo to analyze and interpret the resulting data.
• Functional characterization is a critical component of this campaign. You will be expected to run a variety of assays to measure T-cell activation, including cytotoxicity assays (using IncuCyte live-cell imaging or LDH release) and cytokine profiling via ELISA, MSD, or Luminex.
• You will also track T-cell proliferation using dyes like CFSE.
• All experimental procedures, including precise protocol deviations and raw data, must be recorded meticulously in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) to ensure data integrity for regulatory filings.

Qualification & Experience:

• Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related biological science.
• We require at least 2 years of hands-on wet lab experience, preferably within an industry setting.
• Mastery of aseptic technique and experience in isolating primary T cells from PBMCs is essential.
• Expertise in flow cytometry acquisition and analysis is a non-negotiable requirement for this role.
• Preference will be given to candidates who have direct experience with non-viral transfection methods and those who are comfortable using liquid-handling robotics to scale screening efforts.
• Strong communication skills are vital, as you will be expected to present clear, data-driven updates during weekly campaign sprint meetings.

 
 
At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws. This position’s starting pay is: $ 45.00/hr.