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 Inc. is currently seeking a creative and experienced Director/Senior Director to lead the Synthetic Bioengineering team.
Your Primary Responsibilities
- Lead the team to develop and validate novel synthetic promoters and other regulatory elements for Earli’s cancer-activated synthetic expression platform
- Lead cross-functional interactions with computational biology and data science team members to implement a next-gen platform that integrates massive experimental screening with AI/ML models for synthetic promoter discovery
- Expand current pipeline for computational analysis of cancer multi-omics data and literature to identify key dysregulated pathways in selected cancer indications (especially dysregulated transcription factors)
- Develop creative strategies to increase the strength and durability of expression from synthetic DNA constructs by engineering regulatory elements such as 5’ and 3’ UTRs, codon optimization, mRNA structure, etc.
- Collaborate with the Delivery and Translational Biology teams to develop novel strategies for increasing expression of therapeutic or diagnostic proteins in cancer cells using non-viral lipid nanoparticles
- Communicate internally and externally through presentations and reports to key stakeholders including company leadership, scientific advisors, investors, regulatory agencies, etc.
- Help author publications and presentations of Earli’s synthetic promoter platform in high-impact journals and conferences
Your Required Experience, Knowledge and Skill
- PhD degree in a relevant life sciences field with a minimum of 8 years of biotech industry experience using synthetic biology to engineer, build, and test synthetic promoters or gene circuits
- Deep, direct expertise (as evidenced by high-quality publications or patents) in building platforms for promoters, enhancers, logic circuits, other regulatory elements (e.g. miRNAs, UTRs, etc.)
- Proficiency in using AI/ML techniques to engineer biological molecules using massive multi-omics datasets and state-of-the-art models. An expert level of knowledge is preferred
- Aptitude with designing and using high-throughput screening strategies for massively parallel evaluation and evolution of large synthetic libraries in mammalian cells
- Proficiency in single cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics or other techniques to quantify and validate expression
- Basic knowledge of fundamental cancer biology is required. Deep expertise in cancer -omics, biomarkers, targets and pathways is preferred
- Good working knowledge of drug development principles and workflows for validation in translationally relevant mouse and large animal models
- Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills are required
- Able to multi-task, manage multiple projects simultaneously and work effectively within a team
- Ability to think independently and fully integrate into a high achieving team environment
The base salary for this role is $165,000-$215,000 per year.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!
