Research Associate, Preclinical

Acuitas Therapeutics is a private biotechnology company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We are the premier global provider of LNP delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics. Acuitas is partnered with multiple international, biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners who are focused on bringing new vaccines and drugs into clinical development and to the marketplace.

At Acuitas, we believe in combining excellent science with an enviable work culture. The advanced LNP technologies we provide for our partners are made possible by our employees who apply their passion, curiosity, and knowledge every step of the way. At Acuitas, you will have the opportunity to work as part of a close-knit team of exceptional scientists, who support the production of revolutionary technology that impacts the health and wellness of society. By living our values, including honesty, integrity, innovation and openness, we have fostered a supportive work environment where our employees feel empowered, challenged, recognized and rewarded. If you would like to work for a company that is at the top of the field, Acuitas is the company for you!

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Job Title: Research Associate, Preclinical

YOU: A committed professional with experience in preclinical research looking to develop further in an innovative, fast paced biotech environment.

US: Leading innovators in the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) field, looking for a talented individual to join our collaborative, passionate, and diverse results focused team.

ROLE SUMMARY: Acuitas Therapeutics is seeking a Research Associate with a strong background in immunology and immunological methods to work in the Preclinical team, reporting to the Senior Research Scientist, Preclinical. The role holder will be responsible for executing and supporting studies assessing the pharmacology, immunology, mechanism of action, distribution and safety profile of our LNP, executing analyses and data interpretation, and presenting results to the team and company.

Working with the Preclinical team, the responsibilities would include:

1. Executing and supporting studies to evaluate LNP activity, distribution, mechanisms of action, immune profiles and safety.


2. Mastering established methods and developing new methods to support preclinical objectives, including ELISA, MSD, luciferase assays, qPCR, SDS-PAGE, DNA/RNA isolation and protein quantification.


3. Cell culture and cell-based assays (including ELIspot), cell isolation, and processing tissues and fluids for downstream analysis.


4. Hands-on experience in multi-colour flow cytometry, intracellular cytokine staining and gating strategies.


5. General laboratory support including preparation of reagents and solutions, laboratory organization, maintaining sample and reagent inventory, and shipping of materials.


6. Up to date Biosafety/Biosecurity (Containment Level 2+) and WHMIS certification will be required.


7. Maintain familiarity with relevant scientific knowledge and advancements in LNP technology.


8. May be required to train more junior staff and co-op students. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• BSc with 2-10 years’ experience or an MSc with up to 7 years’ experience; some industry experience preferred.

• Hands-on experience conducting experiments with LNP in vitro and ex vivo; knowledge of LNP formulation processes, LNP characteristics, in vivo biodistribution, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics


• Strong background in innate and adaptive immunology. Knowledge specific to LNP preferred.


• Strong understanding of cell biology and human physiology with a focus on liver structure and function as well as other fenestrated organs.


• Background in vaccine development and experience conducting/analyzing associated assays (ELISA, EliSpot, HAI)


• Hands-on experience in tissue isolation, single cell preparation, cell culture, cell-based assays and cell differentiation.


• Extensive experience in multiplex immune-based assays. Specifically Meso Scale Diagnostics and multichannel flow cytometry including the development of gating strategies.


• Confident and proven safety when working in Biosafety Level 2+ environments.


• Excellent writing and presentation skills. Accurate and appropriate data analysis and use of statistics.


• Familiar with Spotfire and Big Omics or similar visualization platforms. Fluent working with Graph Pad and Microsoft Office. Adept utilizing Flo Jo or similar.


• Responsible and reliable record keeping, organization and assisting in lab management as needed.