Jnana Therapeutics

About Us

Jnana Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its next-generation RAPID chemoproteomics platform to discover medicines for highly validated, challenging-to-drug targets to treat diseases with high unmet needs. Jnana is focused on developing first- and best-in-class therapies to treat a wide range of diseases, including rare diseases and immune-mediated diseases. Jnana’s lead program, JNT-517, which targets an allosteric site on the phenylalanine transporter SLC6A19, is a potential first-in-class oral approach for the treatment of PKU, a rare genetic metabolic disease. Located in Boston, Jnana brings together scientific leaders in small molecule drug discovery and development, and a highly experienced management team. For more information, please visit www.jnanatx.com and follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.

At Jnana, you'll join a diverse, passionate team dedicated to advancing therapies for challenging diseases. Our collaborative, purpose-driven culture fosters innovation, urgency, and belonging—making Jnana a great place to work!

About the Opportunity

Jnana Therapeutics is seeking a molecular and cell biology specialist to help drive the expansion of our early discovery portfolio. In this role, you will be joining the multi-disciplinary Discovery Technologies team to validate small molecule binders and establish on-target cellular activity. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of developing novel cell-based assays and engineering cell lines.

This is an exciting opportunity for a scientifically curious and driven scientist who embraces both challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm, contributing beyond your core responsibilities to help bring innovative medicines to patients.

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to design and develop cell-based assays to functionally characterize small molecule binders arising from our RAPID platform.
• Perform structure activity relationship (SAR) assays to drive medicinal chemistry.
• Become a subject matter expert on target biology and disease area.
• Generate and characterize cell lines for RAPID platform screening.
• Critically evaluate potential new targets for technical feasibility and disease relevance.
• Work collaboratively with Discovery Technology colleagues across protein biochemistry and structural biology.
• Leverage drug discovery experience to impact Jnana’s pipeline and strategy.
• Deliver regular presentations of your data to colleagues and leadership.

Preferred Qualifications & Past Experience

• PhD in Biology, Cell Biology, or relevant discipline with 0-2 years of industry experience.
• B.S. or M.S. with 6+ years of industry experience and a strong scientific track record.
• Experience in cellular readouts of protein activity, e.g. transcriptional/translational reporters, NanoBit/BRET, qPCR, HTRF, flow cytometry.
• Well-versed in vector selection, construct design/engineering, and a range of gene delivery technologies (transfection, transduction, electroporation, CRISPR knock-in).
• Hands-on experience overcoming challenges in cell line engineering and assay development.
• Experience with protein biochemistry, biophysics, or structure is a plus. There is the opportunity to contribute to these areas, as well, with relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with liquid handling instrumentation (Tecan, Viaflo, Biotek) is a plus.
• Must be a committed, collaborative self-starter with a passion for learning and problem-solving.