Scientist/Sr. Scientist - Oligonucleotide Chemistry (Remote)

About the Company

Korsana Biosciences is a private biotech firm dedicated to developing innovative therapies targeting neurodegenerative diseases. Collaborating with Paragon Therapeutics, the company has created the THETA™ platform, a cutting-edge blood-brain barrier shuttle that significantly enhances drug delivery to the brain—overcoming previous technological barriers. Their lead candidate, KRSA-028, is an investigational antibody targeting amyloid beta, aimed at top-tier treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Korsana is committed to engineering precision medicines to address critical unmet medical needs.

Role Overview

We are recruiting a driven Scientist or Senior Scientist specializing in oligonucleotide chemistry to spearhead the design, refinement, and evaluation of next-generation therapeutic oligonucleotides. This role involves collaboration across bioinformatics, biology, pharmacology, formulation, and drug delivery teams, overseeing discovery efforts from target identification through candidate nomination. This fully remote position welcomes applicants residing anywhere within the United States.

Key Responsibilities

• Devise and enhance chemically modified oligonucleotides including siRNAs, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), morpholino oligos (PMOs), and novel emerging classes.
• Invent novel nucleoside analogs, phosphoramidites, backbone chemistries, and oligonucleotide frameworks to boost therapeutic potency, stability, tissue targeting, durability, and safety profiles.
• Generate and analyze structure-activity relationships (SAR) guiding optimization efforts across diverse chemistries and modification patterns.
• Collaborate with bioinformatics and biology groups to design oligonucleotide libraries for cellular and in vivo screening applications.
• Develop synthetic routes for novel oligonucleotide building blocks employing advanced organic and nucleoside chemistry techniques.
• Supervise synthesis, purification, and analytical characterization of oligonucleotides and intermediates, utilizing internal labs and external CRO partners.
• Manage CRO relationships including experimental setup, prioritization, technical guidance, reviewing results, scheduling, and resolving issues to ensure quality and deadlines.
• Establish and apply analytical methodologies such as RP-HPLC, ion exchange chromatography (IEX), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), capillary electrophoresis (CE), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to support characterization and process development.
• Work closely with teams in biology, pharmacology, toxicology, and translational sciences to link chemical modifications with biological activity and therapeutic efficacy.
• Contribute to the advancement of next-generation oligonucleotide platforms incorporating innovative chemistries, delivery modalities, and manufacturability improvements.
• Evaluate new scientific developments and literature to identify approaches enhancing potency, tissue targeting beyond the liver, durability, and safety.
• Maintain detailed technical records and communicate findings, strategies, and recommendations effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or related fields with 0-6 years of relevant industry experience, or alternatively an M.S. degree with 2-8 years of professional experience in oligonucleotide therapeutic development.
• Proven expertise in organic synthesis and nucleoside chemistry, specifically in the preparation and characterization of phosphoramidites and related oligonucleotide building blocks.
• Demonstrated experience with therapeutic oligonucleotide modalities such as siRNA, ASOs, splice-switching oligonucleotides, or PMOs.
• Comprehensive knowledge of current oligonucleotide modification chemistries including 2'-O-methyl, 2'-fluoro, locked nucleic acids (LNA), constrained ethyl (cEt), phosphorothioate stereochemistry, phosphodiester incorporation, glycol nucleic acids, morpholino chemistry, and others; understanding their effects on potency, stability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and toxicity.
• Hands-on experience with oligonucleotide synthesis platforms and purification processes utilizing automated solid-phase synthesis and preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
• Strong proficiency in analytical characterization techniques like LC-MS, RP-HPLC, ion exchange chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and MALDI-TOF.
• Ability to design and interpret medicinal chemistry SAR studies related to oligonucleotide drug candidates.
• Familiarity with delivery technologies such as GalNAc, lipid, peptide, antibody conjugates, nanoparticles, or other targeted delivery systems is advantageous.
• Prior participation supporting lead optimization and candidate selection in drug discovery is preferred.

Desired Skills and Attributes

• Innovative scientific thinking and strong problem-solving aptitude to develop novel chemical solutions addressing therapeutic challenges.
• Well-rounded understanding of the latest oligonucleotide therapeutic chemistries across siRNA, ASO, PMO, and emerging RNA-targeted platforms.
• Proficiency in integrating medicinal chemistry, synthetic methods, biological data, and pharmacology to develop unified optimization approaches.
• Excellent communication skills capable of translating complex scientific data to diverse multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to function autonomously as well as collaboratively in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary research setting.
• Passion for pioneering nucleic acid medicines through innovative chemistry and rigorous scientific methodology.

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated base salary for this role ranges from $115,000 to $175,000 annually. Eligibility for performance-based bonuses, equity options, and participation in company benefit programs may also apply. Compensation levels are dependent on experience, education, and geographic location.

Company Culture and Equal Opportunity

Korsana Biosciences, part of the Paragon Therapeutics incubator, is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where all employees are respected and valued. Employment decisions are made based on merit without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or other protected categories.