Earli exists to make cancer a benign experience. Earli does that by turning cancers against themselves: genetically forcing them to reveal themselves early, and then kill themselves – precisely and clearly distinguishable from benign lesions at early stages. Based on original technology from Stanford’s renowned Gambhir lab, Earli designs genetic constructs that are injected intravenously that turn cancer cells against themselves. These programmable synthetic promoter-reporter sequences “flip on” like light switches only in dysregulated cancer cells and turn them into "factories." The cancer is forced to produce either an epitope “docking station” for imaging agents, or a cytokine for immune system activation against the tumor. Thus, Earli’s platform enables immediate diagnosis and treatment of early cancers, rather than long-term observation that can lead to deadly metastatic recurrence.
Earli's synthetic target expression platform has evolved over five years of deep bioengineering. The system can now detect broad ranges of patient mutations, distinguish between malignant and benign lesions, and offer independence from often elusive natural biomarkers.
Who You Are
- You share our same sense of dedication, scientific passion and entrepreneurial spirit
- You work well in a fast-paced and extremely focused startup environment
- You are not only smart, but clever and constantly think outside the box
- You are able to make logical decisions in an instant when there is little time to evaluate
- You are a natural communicator and relationship builder
- You stay calm under high pressure and stress
- You have the ability to multi-task in a serious way, with an extreme attention to detail
- You become a representative of the core DNA of the company through who you are
The Position
Earli is currently seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to join the Translational Biology team as a 6 month initial contract position. The successful candidate will play a key role in molecular analysis of the Earli platform technology by leading efforts to process tissue samples to extract high-quality nucleic acids for downstream molecular analyses quantification and characterization including QPCR, RT-QPCR, integrity, sequencing.
Your Primary Responsibilities
- Isolate nucleic acids from cell lines and a wide variety of frozen pre-clinical tissues using manual and semi-automated methodologies.
- Assess quality and quantify extracted DNA and RNA
- Contribute to cDNA synthesis and qPCR analysis
- Maintain detailed electronic lab notebooks and databases, documenting all experimental procedures, sample information, and results with accuracy.
- Work closely with other research team members to coordinate sample collection, analysis, and interpretation of results
Your Required Experience, Knowledge and Skill
- BS or MS degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related life sciences field with hands-on molecular biology wet lab experience with 1+ years of experience preferably in an industry setting.
- Prior experience with high throughput methodologies of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) isolation and quantification from mammalian cells and tissues is required as is a strong background in QPCR analyses.
- Experience with mammalian cell culture, cell disassociation and cell-based assays (bioluminescence, FACS, microscopy) is a plus.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.
The base salary for this position is $40-$50/hour depending on experience.
If interested in applying, please attach a CV or have a well-developed LinkedIn profile for us to be able to assess your background.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Top Skills
What We Do
Earli mission is to make cancer a benign experience.
Rather than rely on biomarkers that cancer may - or often may not - naturally provide, Earli's technology *forces* cancer cells to make a synthetic, non-human biomarker using gene therapy approaches. It's called a Synthetic Biopsy. It can then localize the cancer in a PET scanner.
Earli has been funded by Andreessen Horowitz's Bio Fund, Khosla, Perceptive Advisors, Casdin Capital, Sands Capital, Marc Benioff, Menlo Ventures, ZhenFund. Earli is based in the West Coast’s prime biotech hub in South San Francisco.
