---
title: 'Research Associate – tRNA and mRNA Biology at Scismic'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/research-associate-trna-and-mrna-biology-scismic-cambridge-1d7qwgr62qy7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-16'
---

# Research Associate – tRNA and mRNA Biology at Scismic

- **Company:** Scismic
- **Location:** Cambridge, MA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2025-06-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/scismic/3e05f4d3-8b17-4a98-b9ec-7c91595db210

## Job description

Scismic is supporting the growth of a Cambridge, MA biotech startup that is pioneering mRNA-modulating therapies to cure a broad range of genetic diseases. The company is exploring the use of its novel platforms in neurological disorders, heart disease, and muscular dystrophies.

Position summary: As an expert scientist in cellular neurobiology, you will be responsible for establishing cellular assays to demonstrate in vitro proof of concept for company tRNA therapeutic leads and characterize the cellular activity and downstream disease-relevant biology to help prioritize candidates for in vivo studies.

Key responsibilities for this position include:

- Establish in vitro disease models in relevant cell types including primary neurons and glia isolated from transgenic animal models and patient-derived iPSC lines.
- Design, troubleshoot, and execute cell-based assays in human and rodent cell lines to characterize the efficacy and safety of company's novel tRNA therapeutic leads.
- Understand mechanism of action of lead candidates and establish assays and endpoints relevant to downstream target and disease biology. Conduct literature searches; communicate understanding in internal forums and with external collaborators and partners.

Minimum qualifications:

- A BS/MS in Neurobiology, Molecular/Cellular Biology, physiology, or a related discipline.
- Extensive hands-on experience with a variety of molecular, cellular and/or physiological techniques (isolating rodent neurons and establishing primary neuronal cultures, neurite outgrowth, qPCR, western blotting, microscopy, calcium imaging, synaptic imaging, multi-electrode arrays, human IPS/ES cell culture, etc).
- Prior experience using AAV/lentivirus in primary or iPSC-derived neurons is highly desirable.
- Ability to master new concepts and technologies quickly and run experiments independently.
- Scientifically rigorous, highly organized, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaborate with colleagues and effectively prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fluid, fast-paced work environment

Title commensurate with level of experience.

We are accepting applications to build a pipeline of potential candidates for future opportunities. If your qualifications align with our requirements, we will contact you once the hiring process begins. Thank you for your interest in this role.

## About Scismic

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Scismic is a digital STEM ecosystem that uses explainable AI and skills-based matching to connect life science, deep tech, and manufacturing employers with qualified talent, while also providing workforce development tools for educators and economic organizations.
- **Entity Type**: Private (NIH-funded)
- **Headquarters**: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (with offices in Boston, London, and Singapore)
- **Founded**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Founders**: Dr. Danika Khong, PhD (CEO & Co-Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: HR tech / talent platform for STEM (Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Deep Tech)
- **Target customers**: B2B (employers in pharma, biotech, medtech, AI/ML, robotics), B2C (STEM job seekers), B2G (economic development organizations, professional associations), B2E (universities and training providers)
- **Mission**: "Put the right scientists in the right roles to help drive innovation forward" and address the broken connection between academia and industry [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/about)

## Products & Services
- **Scismic Connect**: AI-powered hiring platform for employers. Provides gender- and race-blind skills matching, guarantees 3 interview-ready candidates, 97% first-year retention, and free replacement if a hire leaves within 12 months. Reduces time-to-hire by 80% [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/employers)
- **Skills Locker**: Skills intelligence solution for education institutions. Maps curriculum to labor market demand, tracks emerging skills by region, and improves graduate employment outcomes [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en)
- **SMARTBoard EDU**: White-label technology for economic development organizations and professional associations to build skills-first communities, map regional talent supply/demand, and coordinate multi-stakeholder initiatives [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en)
- **Job Seeker Platform**: Free platform for STEM professionals to find jobs, receive personalized career pathway recommendations, and access upskilling opportunities [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Over 80,000 scientists and engineers screened; 8,000+ skills mapped (NIH-awarded taxonomy); 97% employee retention beyond 12 months [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/employers)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to reduce bias in candidate evaluation; also partners with economic development organizations and professional associations [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 9 employees (-22.2% YoY, -4 people) per LinkedIn; LinkedIn followers 11,609 (+18.9% yearly). The company is expanding into workforce development and education verticals with white-label solutions [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc)

## Competitive Advantages
- **NIH-awarded skills-matching technology** that is gender- and race-blind, reducing bias in candidate screening
- **Specialized focus on STEM** (life sciences, manufacturing, deep tech) – not a generalist platform
- **Strong retention guarantees**: 97% first-year retention, free replacement within 12 months
- **Plug-and-play ecosystem** for multiple stakeholders (employers, educators, workforce boards) – not just a job board

## Strategic Focus
- **Skills-first hiring** – moving away from pedigree-based evaluation to verified skills data
- **Bridging the academia-industry gap** – helping translate STEM education into commercial innovation
- **Workforce development at scale** – white-label solutions for regional economic development and professional associations
- **Expanding education partnerships** – aligning curriculum with real-time labor market demand

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Mission-driven team of PhD scientists and engineers who understand the rigor of research and the importance of talent in STEM. Rated 4.5/5.0 on LinkedIn (6 reviews) with high scores for Work-Life (4.7) and Culture (4.6), but lower for Compensation (2.4) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc)
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office**: Not explicitly stated; headquarters in Cambridge, MA with global offices (Boston, London, Singapore). Likely hybrid or remote-friendly given 9 employees across multiple countries.
- **Notable Perks**: Opportunity to work on NIH-funded technology that directly impacts diversity and innovation in STEM. Small team offers high autonomy and impact. Focus on career development and upskilling for employees as well.
- **Engineering Culture**: Building explainable AI and skills-matching algorithms; team is composed of researchers, product innovators, and commercial strategists [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/about)

## Sources
1. [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en) – Company homepage and ecosystem overview
2. [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/about) – About page, founders, mission, team
3. [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/employers) – Employer solutions and metrics
4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc) – LinkedIn company page, employee count, followers, reviews
5. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/scismic) – Built In profile, description

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