Scientist - Virology

Scientist I – Virology

Foster City, CA, United States

Duration: Long term contract (possibility of further extension)

Pay Rate: $57.50/hr on W2 + Medical Benefits, Paid Sick leave, 401K

This role will support the discovery and development of innovative therapies targeting viral diseases such as HBV, HDV, HSV, and other infectious diseases. The successful candidate will contribute to preclinical drug discovery by designing and executing virology, molecular biology, and immunology experiments in a collaborative research environment.

• Design, develop, validate, and perform
  virology, molecular biology, and cell-based assays
  .
• Construct, clone, and propagate
  wild‑type and mutant viruses
  .
• Perform
  molecular cloning
  , plasmid construction, PCR, qPCR, and RNA/DNA isolation.
• Culture and maintain mammalian and primary cells for functional studies.
• Conduct
  virus production, viral infectivity assays, and antiviral efficacy studies
  .
• Evaluate
  EC50/IC50 values of drug candidates against wild‑type and mutant viruses.
• Perform immune‑based assays including
  ELISA, flow cytometry (FACS), and immune cell functional assays
  .
• Investigate
  mechanisms of action (MOA) of therapeutic candidates.
• Analyze, interpret, and present experimental data while maintaining accurate laboratory documentation.
• Troubleshoot experiments and recommend technical improvements based on scientific literature.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support preclinical research programs.

• Bachelor's degree in
  Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry
  , or a related life sciences discipline with4+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Hands‑on experience in
  virology, molecular biology, immunology, or cell biology
  .
• Experience with
  molecular cloning, PCR, qPCR/RT‑qPCR, RNA/DNA isolation, and plasmid construction
  .
• Experience with
  virus production, viral propagation, or viral vector systems
  .
• Strong experience with
  mammalian cell culture and/or primary cell culture
  .
• Experience performing
  ELISA, flow cytometry (FACS), or immune cell functional assays
  .
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and experimental design skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively.

• Experience with
  HBV, HDV, HSV
  , or other infectious disease research.
• Experience with
  oncolytic viruses, adenovirus, lentivirus, AAV
  , or other viral vector platforms.
• Experience with
  EC50/IC50 analysis
  , antiviral drug screening, or pharmacology assays.
• Knowledge of
  mechanism of action (MOA) studies and preclinical drug discovery.
• Experience supporting
  IND‑enabling research
  .