Scientist / Principal Research Associate, Beta Islet jobs in United States
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Sana Biotechnology, Inc. · 2 months ago

Scientist / Principal Research Associate, Beta Islet

Sana Biotechnology is a company focused on engineered cells as medicines, and they are seeking a Scientist / Principal Research Associate to join their Beta Islet Team in Cambridge. The role involves performing stem cell differentiation experiments, optimizing workflows, and collaborating with both R&D and PD teams to support product development.

BiotechnologyHealth CareLife ScienceProduct Research
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Comp. & Benefits
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Lab-based role focused on culture and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells
Perform and optimize iPSC culture, expansion in both 2D and 3D platforms
Operate and optimize closed and automated bioreactor systems under aseptic and GMP-aligned conditions
Collaborate with PD team to enable scale-up and technology transfer
Experience bridging between R&D and PD is a plus
Analysis of differentiated cell product – flow cytometry, PCR, fluorescent microscopy
Participate in design and execution of experiments critical for SC-451 product development
Document experiments, analyze data, and prepare summaries
Maintain excellent scientific documentation and contribute to SOP development
Assuring compliance with all relevant lab safety and biosafety regulations
Demonstrate Sana’s core values and the attributes that support these core values (Lead from every seat, Thrive as a team, Make it happen)

Qualification

IPSC cultureDirected differentiationBioreactor operationAseptic techniquesFlow cytometryImaging softwareScientific documentationGMP knowledgeCollaboration skills

Required

PhD MSc or BSc in Stem cell biology, biomedical Engineering or related fields with 1-2 years (PhD) 5+ years (MSc) or 7+ years (BSc) of direct cell therapy industry experience
Expertise in iPSC culture and directed differentiation, preferably toward pancreatic islet lineages
Experienced in handling large-scale directed differentiations
Proficiency in aseptic techniques and single-use or closed-system workflows
Proficient with standard flow cytometry and imaging software (e.g. FACS, Diva, FlowJo, ImageJ, Prism, etc.)
Lab-based role focused on culture and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells
Perform and optimize iPSC culture, expansion in both 2D and 3D platforms
Operate and optimize closed and automated bioreactor systems under aseptic and GMP-aligned conditions
Collaborate with PD team to enable scale-up and technology transfer
Analysis of differentiated cell product – flow cytometry, PCR, fluorescent microscopy
Participate in design and execution of experiments critical for SC-451 product development
Document experiments, analyze data, and prepare summaries
Maintain excellent scientific documentation and contribute to SOP development
Assuring compliance with all relevant lab safety and biosafety regulations
Demonstrate Sana's core values and the attributes that support these core values (Lead from every seat, Thrive as a team, Make it happen)

Preferred

Experience bridging between R&D and PD is a plus
Hands-on experience with closed systems (tube welder, sealer, single-use assemblies)
Expertise in controlled bioreactor setup, operation, automation, and process control (DO, pH, perfusion, agitation)
Knowledge or direct experience in directed stem cell differentiation toward pancreatic islet lineage
Proven ability to optimize differentiation yield and reproducibility across platforms
Passion for GMP transition, automation, and continuous process improvement
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and enthusiasm for advancing cell therapies to the clinic

Benefits

Health coverage
Paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
Employer paid basic life insurance
Additional voluntary life insurance protection
Financial wellness programs including financial planning resources
401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match
Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Commuter subsidy
A variety of wellness offerings

Company

Sana Biotechnology, Inc.

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Sana Biotechnology is focused on utilizing engineered cells as medicines for patients.

H1B Sponsorship

Sana Biotechnology, Inc. has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (17)
2024 (15)
2023 (8)
2022 (24)
2021 (8)
2020 (8)

Funding

Current Stage
Public Company
Total Funding
$951.3M
2025-08-06Post Ipo Equity· $86.3M
2024-02-07Post Ipo Equity· $165M
2021-02-04IPO

Leadership Team

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Steve Harr
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Richard Mulligan
Vice Chairman and Head, Sana X
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Company data provided by crunchbase