To be a top performer as a Senior Research Associate at Septerna, candidates must demonstrate advanced technical mastery in protein purification, specifically utilizing FPLC, gravity flow, and magnetic bead-based methods. Essential proficiencies include executing medium-to-large-scale production workflows and rigorous protein quality control using SDS-PAGE, fluorescent SEC, and DSF. Beyond raw technical ability, top performers distinguish themselves through their efficiency in managing multiple simultaneous projects, ensuring strict adherence to timelines, and maintaining meticulous laboratory documentation. A deep understanding of GPCR-related workflows, coupled with the ability to independently draft and follow Standard Operating Procedures, is critical for supporting the company’s proprietary Native Complex Platform™ and driving success in high-paced drug discovery efforts.

Prioritizing reagent quality control (QC) within Septerna’s rapid development cycles requires a systematic, high-throughput approach. I focus on integrating QC directly into the production workflow rather than treating it as a final bottleneck. By utilizing standard operating procedures (SOPs), I ensure consistent execution of essential characterization techniques—such as fSEC, SDS-PAGE, and DSF—immediately following purification. I maintain strict prioritization by aligning laboratory efforts with Discovery Biology team timelines, ensuring that high-priority GPCR targets receive expedited analysis. Effective documentation and real-time data analysis allow for rapid assessment of protein integrity, enabling me to manage multiple simultaneous projects while ensuring that only high-quality reagents progress to structural biology and drug discovery screening.

Current protein production methodologies are increasingly driven by the need for high-throughput, structural-based drug discovery, specifically for challenging targets like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Key trends include the integration of "native-like" environments—such as Septerna’s Native Complex Platform™—to maintain protein structure and dynamics outside cellular contexts. There is a strong industry shift toward scalable purification techniques, including automated FPLC, microscale, and magnetic bead-based workflows, to support rapid screening. Additionally, modern workflows emphasize rigorous biophysical characterization—utilizing fluorescent size-exclusion chromatography (fSEC) and differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF)—to ensure high-quality, stable reagents. These trends prioritize precision, speed, and structural integrity, reflecting a broader movement toward more complex, disease-modifying therapeutic development in biotechnology.

The Senior Research Associate plays a critical, hands-on role in enabling Septerna’s Native Complex Platform™ by executing the medium and large-scale protein production required for the company's GPCR-focused drug discovery pipeline. By utilizing specialized purification techniques—including FPLC, gravity flow, and magnetic bead purification—the associate ensures a steady supply of high-quality proteins. These reagents are essential for structural biology, biophysical characterization, and small molecule screening. Additionally, the role involves qualifying these proteins through analytical methods like SDS-PAGE, fSEC, and DSF, while collaborating with Discovery Biology teams to manage project timelines. Ultimately, this position directly supports the platform’s ability to stabilize GPCRs in their native states for industrial-scale drug discovery.

This Senior Research Associate role is critical to advancing Septerna’s Native Complex™ platform, which is essential for the company's GPCR-focused drug discovery pipeline. By performing hands-on, medium to large-scale protein production, the candidate will directly supply high-quality reagents required for structural biology, biophysics, and small molecule screening. Through the application of advanced purification techniques—such as FPLC, affinity, ion-exchange, and size-exclusion chromatography—and rigorous quality control, the associate will ensure the stability and functionality of these complex GPCR targets. Ultimately, their contributions facilitate the transition of programs from early research into preclinical development, enabling the discovery of transformative medicines for patients with high unmet needs.