Associate Scientist II, Biology

Role Summary

The Associate Scientist II, Biology is responsible for performing scientific experiments that contribute to research and drug discovery activities at PTC. This position assists in the conduct of early stage research, with the goal of identifying New Chemical Entities (NCEs) and advancing programs from screening hits to lead optimization. The incumbent communicates experimental results to their supervisor and project team and supports adherence to regulatory requirements and company SOPs.

Responsibilities

• Develop innovative induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–based models of neurological diseases using patient-derived fibroblasts and genome-edited cell lines.
• Contribute to the development and optimization of in vitro differentiation protocols, facilitating the production of iPSC-derived cell types, including neurons, glia, and organoids.
• Perform neural/glial differentiations for phenotype discovery.
• Support hit validation and hit-to-lead optimization by screening compounds and/or supporting structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies involving the characterization of the biological activity of compounds in various assays.
• Provide support for high-throughput screening including the design of primary assays to identify hits and new chemical scaffolds.
• Execute experiments under minimal supervision and communicate results within a multi-disciplinary team. May design and conduct independent research experiments.
• Analyze experimental data using tools such as Prism and Excel.
• Apply relevant scientific principles and techniques to research problems.
• Maintain broad knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and techniques, contributing to the identification of new project areas or technologies.
• Present findings internally and externally, contributing to publications in peer-reviewed journals, subject to internal scientific and legal approval.
• Maintain detailed electronic laboratory notebooks.
• Provide technical and scientific input to the project team or research leadership.
• Comply with all safety requirements.
• Contributes to general lab operations such as:
  • Equipment maintenance.
  • Identification of capital equipment needs.
  • Maintenance of clean and uncluttered work areas.
  • Maintain inventory and order supplies as needed.

Qualifications

• Required: Minimum level of education and years of relevant work experience.
• Required: Bachelor's or master's degree in a scientific discipline with at least five years of relevant industry experience for developing functional assays and biomarker discovery/validation in neuroscience.
• Required: Proficient in iPSC maintenance, neuronal and glial differentiation techniques using various protocols.
• Required: Experience in organoid-based disease modeling, ex-vivo primary neuron culture, processing of mouse model tissues, and biomarker validation.
• Required: Authorized to work immediately in the United States.
• Required: Special knowledge or skills and/or licenses or certificates required.
• Required: Background in neurobiology, stem cell biology, genome editing, cell-based assay development, laboratory automation, and high-content cell analysis.
• Required: Ability to work productively in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
• Required: Strong technical proficiency, scientific creativity, independent thinking and collaborative interpersonal skills to work in a cross-functional team environment.
• Required: Knowledge of scientific principles, current relevant scientific literature, and disease mechanisms.
• Required: Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills with adaptability to changing priorities and deadlines.
• Required: Effective planning, organization, and time management skills with ability to support and prioritize multiple projects.
• Required: Proficiency with Microsoft Office, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Snapgene, GraphPad Prism.
• Required: Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Preferred: Special knowledge or skills and/or licenses or certificates.
• Preferred: Proficiency in flow cytometry, electrophysiology, multielectrode array (MEA), or cell culture in microfluidic chambers.
• Preferred: Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture including DNA/RNA transfection, lentiviral transduction, isolation of stable clones, cryopreservation, RNAi/CRISPR, cytotoxicity, cell-based reporter assays (e.g., luciferase assays, protein-protein interaction), in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence assay and compound screening in 96- and/or 384-well format.
• Preferred: Experience with RNA purification and gene expression quantification (e.g., ddPCR, PCR and qRT-PCR).
• Preferred: Familiarity with molecular cloning, SDS-PAGE, western blot, ELISA/Mesoscale Discovery (MSD).
• Preferred: Experience in high-throughput cell-based assays, laboratory automation and robotic plate handlers (e.g., JANUS, Assistant Plus).
• Preferred: Experience with RNA library preparation and Next Generation Sequencing.

Additional Requirements

• Travel requirements: Up to 5%.
• Physical requirements: Office/Laboratory-based position, full-time on-site (Mon-Fri). Flexible scheduling, including occasional weekend work, is required to maintain healthy cell cultures.