Senior Scientist – In VivoY-Trap is seeking a highly motivated and fast-moving Senior Scientist – In Vivo, who will be responsible for design and hands-on execution of murine in vivo experiments to advance the discovery and development of multifunctional fusion proteins. Y-Trap is a startup in South San Francisco developing novel multi-specific therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. While current immunotherapies aim to activate and expand T cells by blocking immune checkpoints, they do not correct the immunosuppressive & tumor-promoting phenotypes of immune cells that dominate in the tumor. Y-Trap has utilized its AI-driven engineering platform to develop a portfolio of multi-specific fusion proteins designed to counteract the determinants of these tumor-promoting immune cell phenotypes. Y-Trap is currently advancing its lead programs into the clinic.
In this role, you will:- Independently execute mouse tumor efficacy and PK/PD studies to evaluate the effects of immuno-modulating therapeutics.
- Manage our shared space in a contract vivarium, including ordering mice/reagents and liaising with vivarium staff.
- Perform tumor implantation, dosing, blood collection, and tissue harvests; monitor tumor growth, treatment response, and animal health.
- Collaborate with the immunology team, with opportunities to contribute to in vitro assays and immune cell characterization.
- We are seeking an exceptional candidate with the following qualifications:
- Strong oncology in vivo expertise. You love being in the vivarium and are great at handling mice. You're proficient in tumor implantation, tumor measurement, drug administration (i.p., i.v.), blood collection, and necropsy.
- Detail-oriented and precise. You keep meticulous notes, a detailed schedule of activities to be completed, and record/share data cleanly and promptly.
- Self-driven and resourceful. You're excited to learn new skills when needed, with a mentality to do whatever it takes to get the job done in a small team with a lot of autonomy.
- You have several years of hands-on mouse work, regardless of where you got it (maybe in your PhD/post-doc, or maybe working in industry). You're excited to use your skills to do a lot of hands-on work for the next 1-2 years.
- Ideally, you may also have one or more of the following:
- Experience with surgical tumor models, including performing orthotopic tumor implantation and intrasplenic tumor cell inoculation.
- Experience working with/generating humanized mice using huPBMCs and/or huCD34+ HSCs.
- Experience with the adjacent in vitro parts of the job -- tumor cell line culture, tissue dissociation, PK analysis, flow cytometry.
- Experience with mouse models of inflammation or autoimmune disease.
- Y-Trap is based in South San Francisco, CA and offers competitive salary, benefits, and stock options. This is not an entry-level position, but candidates of varying seniority are encouraged to apply. Seniority and compensation will be commensurate to experience.
