Monte Rosa Therapeutics is seeking passionate Co-op Research Associates to help us to eliminate disease causing proteins through targeted protein degradation­­­ – a novel and exciting way of drugging proteins that until recently were considered un-druggable. The candidates will gain hands-on experience within a particular area of interest in an early-stage drug discovery environment. You will work with an industry leader who will direct and mentor you on your project, as well as expose you to other drug discovery projects and involve you in the process of solving complex biological questions. You will be joining a diverse, thoughtful, fun, and collaborative environment that emphasizes teamwork and putting people first!

If you have an interest in any of the following areas, we will give you hands on educational experience within high paced Drug discovery teams in one of 2 different research focus areas.

T/B Cell Biology

Monte Rosa Therapeutics has developed a suite of primary human cell-based assays across innate & adaptive immunity, spanning multiple functional categories (T-cell, B-cell, Inflammasome biology, etc.). These assays are critical for characterizing the functional activity of molecular glue degraders against different immune target proteins that are drivers in many autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.

The selected Co-op will learn to develop a panel of stimulation-based immune assays utilizing both primary cells and cell lines. In doing so, they will gain foundational experience with in vitro culturing of primary human cells and various human cell lines and drug treatment across multiple cell types. They will learn stimulation-based immune assays which are essential in mastering complex immune assays. The co-op will also gain experience with multiple downstream readouts such as ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays), Western blotting, flow cytometry, and so on.

Cancer Cell Biology

The most traditional hallmark of cancers is unregulated cellular growth. Monte Rosa Therapeutics has developed drugs to directly target two critical proteins that govern the G1-S cell cycle checkpoint – Cyclin E and CDK2. Understanding how the cellular pathways that converge at the Cyclin E/CDK2 complex alter growth and death of cancers is critical to the progression of our drugs from the benchtop to the clinic.

The selected Co-Op will address the open question of how activity of cellular pathways that feed into the Cyclin E /CDK2 complex can modulate sensitivity to our novel drugs. Using cancer cell lines as in vitro models, they will determine how the degradation of proteins impacts cellular growth and death. They will address how modulation of pathways – through small molecules and/or genetic manipulation – is able to change cellular sensitivity to our novel drugs. Finally, they will use functional pathway readouts at both the RNA and protein levels to address signaling from the Cyclin E/CDK2 complex.

• Our preference is for a student currently in a Bachelor’s (junior or senior) or Master’s degree program in biochemistry, biology, molecular biology, or a related life science
• Individuals interested in the T/B cell position should preferably have previous experience in mammalian cell culture, and understanding (hands-on research or classroom knowledge) in FACS, Western blot, and/or ELISA assays
• Individuals interested in the cancer cell biology position should preferably have previous experience with mammalian cell culture, CRISPR, and/or fluorescent microscopy
• Enjoys working in a team-based environment