What are the responsibilities and job description for the Postdoctoral Associate, Mammalian Synthetic Biology position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology?
Posting Description
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, MAMMALIAN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY , Biological Engineering - Weiss Lab , t o join an interdisciplinary academic research lab focused on creating integrated biological systems capable of autonomously performing useful tasks and elucidating design principles for engineering complex cellular and tissue phenotypes; d esign, build, and test mammalian synthetic gene circuits, including sensing modules (e.g., RNA/miRNA/metabolite-responsive elements), logic/control elements, and output programs that drive measurable cellular behaviors; engineer and maintain mammalian cell lines; p erform genome engineering and targeted integration workflows; v alidate engineered lines using standard molecular and cellular assays; and p lan and execute experiments to characterize circuit performance using flow cytometry, microscopy, RT-qPCR, sequencing-based readouts, ELISA, and related methods.
Job Requirements
REQUIRED : Ph.D. in biological sciences, computer science, engineering, physics, math, or a related field; experience in a minimum of the following—mammalian cell culture and differentiation, iPSC engineering, large-scale DNA assembly and characterization, genetic recombination and site-specific genome integration (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9, RMCE), next-generation sequencing, computational methods/tools for analysis, and statistics; background in molecular biology, synthetic biology, protein engineering, immunology, and/or cell biology; demonstrated ability to design and execute rigorous experiments and detailed protocols; strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment; and excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting research through talks and publications. PREFERRED : Experience designing and validating mammalian genetic circuits that sense cell state (e.g., mRNA/miRNA) and/or use recombinase- or CRISPR-based control strategies; proficiency in common characterization methods (e.g., flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, NGS-based readouts); and experience working in milestone-driven, team-based research programs and contributing to manuscripts, reports, and sponsor-facing presentations.
4/14/2026
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, MAMMALIAN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY , Biological Engineering - Weiss Lab , t o join an interdisciplinary academic research lab focused on creating integrated biological systems capable of autonomously performing useful tasks and elucidating design principles for engineering complex cellular and tissue phenotypes; d esign, build, and test mammalian synthetic gene circuits, including sensing modules (e.g., RNA/miRNA/metabolite-responsive elements), logic/control elements, and output programs that drive measurable cellular behaviors; engineer and maintain mammalian cell lines; p erform genome engineering and targeted integration workflows; v alidate engineered lines using standard molecular and cellular assays; and p lan and execute experiments to characterize circuit performance using flow cytometry, microscopy, RT-qPCR, sequencing-based readouts, ELISA, and related methods.
Job Requirements
REQUIRED : Ph.D. in biological sciences, computer science, engineering, physics, math, or a related field; experience in a minimum of the following—mammalian cell culture and differentiation, iPSC engineering, large-scale DNA assembly and characterization, genetic recombination and site-specific genome integration (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9, RMCE), next-generation sequencing, computational methods/tools for analysis, and statistics; background in molecular biology, synthetic biology, protein engineering, immunology, and/or cell biology; demonstrated ability to design and execute rigorous experiments and detailed protocols; strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment; and excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting research through talks and publications. PREFERRED : Experience designing and validating mammalian genetic circuits that sense cell state (e.g., mRNA/miRNA) and/or use recombinase- or CRISPR-based control strategies; proficiency in common characterization methods (e.g., flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, NGS-based readouts); and experience working in milestone-driven, team-based research programs and contributing to manuscripts, reports, and sponsor-facing presentations.
4/14/2026