Assay Development Scientist

Description

Gensaic combines AI-powered protein design with unbiased directed evolution to develop tissue-selective ligands for targeted intracellular therapeutic delivery. The company's portfolio advances therapies for metabolic and age-related diseases, with an initial focus on siRNA payloads. FORGE™, Gensaic's proprietary product engine, integrates phage libraries for unbiased protein evolution within a generative AI architecture to discover and optimize protein and peptide molecules with enhanced tissue selectivity and drug-like properties. Founded at MIT and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Gensaic's team of physicians, bioengineers, and machine learning scientists is advancing a singular objective: to enable selective delivery of any therapeutic payload to any tissue of interest. We are an early-stage startup and look for people who are passionate about science, community and doing good.

For more information, please visit gensaic.com.

Location

Cambridge, MA

Summary

We are seeking a highly creative and scientifically rigorous Assay Development Scientist with deep expertise in in vitro assay development and biological problem-solving. The successful candidate will lead efforts to design, implement, and troubleshoot new cellular and biochemical assays to evaluate test articles—including oligonucleotides, peptides, and novel conjugates—across diverse targets and pathways. This position is ideal for an experienced scientist who thrives on technical challenge and innovation, bringing critical thinking, experimental precision, and a deep understanding of biological systems to both drug discovery and mechanistic investigation.

Key Responsibilities

Assay Development & Innovation

• Design, establish, and validate novel in vitro assays for evaluating target engagement, potency, and mechanism of action of novel biologics.
• Develop quantitative cell-based and biochemical assays to support lead screening, SAR development, and mechanistic studies.
• Apply strong experimental design principles to ensure assay reproducibility, dynamic range, and interpretability.
• Troubleshoot complex assay challenges—including signal optimization, background reduction, and control design.
• Evaluate and implement emerging assay technologies (e.g., imaging-based readouts, luminescent or reporter assays, RNA quantification, or high-content screening).

Screening & Validation

• Develop and optimize screening funnels for diverse therapeutic modalities (e.g., oligonucleotides, peptides, or small molecules).
• Analyze and interpret data to identify lead candidates and define structure–activity relationships.
• Coordinate with chemistry, bioinformatics, and pharmacology teams to guide test article design and prioritization.
• Drive method transfer and documentation to support GLP or IND-enabling studies.

Mechanistic and Exploratory Biology

• Lead hypothesis-driven investigations into cellular pathways, uptake mechanisms, and response phenotypes.
• Employ molecular, cellular, and biochemical tools to interrogate drug–target interactions and pathway modulation.
• Translate fundamental biological insights into actionable assay platforms for discovery and validation.

Process Development & Team Integration

• Streamline assay workflows for scalability and throughput, identifying automation or data analysis opportunities.
• Author SOPs, assay documentation, and data summaries suitable for cross-functional decision-making.
• Mentor junior scientists in assay development and data interpretation best practices.
• Present experimental findings and recommendations to multidisciplinary project teams and leadership.

Qualifications

• Education: Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or related field.
• Experience:
• 4 years of experience in industry or equivalent setting focused on assay development and biological screening.
• Demonstrated success establishing de novo assays for novel targets or mechanisms.
• Strong understanding of cell signaling, RNA and protein expression analysis, and quantitative assay design.
• Proven track record of problem-solving and delivering high-quality, reproducible data in complex biological systems.
• Experience working in multi-modal discovery teams supporting early drug development.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency in cell-based assays, reporter gene systems, and biochemical binding or enzymatic assays.
• Experience with RNA or oligonucleotide therapeutics, uptake and trafficking assays, or target knockdown validation.
• Familiarity with automation platforms, plate-based screening, and high-content imaging.
• Fluency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., GraphPad Prism, Spotfire, Python, R).
• Strong understanding of experimental design, statistical validation, and data reproducibility standards.

Personal Attributes

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think creatively under uncertainty.
• Highly experimental and hands-on, motivated by complex assay challenges.
• Strategic mindset—able to connect mechanistic findings to therapeutic implications.
• Rigorous, data-driven, and collaborative, with excellent communication across scientific disciplines.
• Enthusiastic about pushing technical boundaries and developing assays that enable breakthrough discoveries.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge protein and oligonucleotide engineering, therapeutic conjugation, and screening technologies.
• Collaborative and inclusive research environment with opportunities for professional growth.
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and career development support.
• Make a meaningful impact on innovative therapeutics and next-generation biologics.

If you are passionate about protein and oligonucleotide engineering and thrive in an interdisciplinary and fast-paced research setting, we encourage you to apply!

Cutlture at Gensaic

‘A place where everybody knows your name’

• Care about people and obsess about the science
• Celebrate diversity in everything    
• Always communicate 
• Show empathy and respect   
• Deliver value
• Admit mistakes and shortcomings
• Sweat the details
• Laugh

Perks and Benefits

Work with a talented and collaborative team   

Competitive compensation & equity package

401k, Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Continued education and conferences stipend

Wellness (and why not) stipend

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.