RADAR THERAPEUTICS

About the start-up

Radar Therapeutics is building the first platform for programmable mRNA medicines that can sense and respond to a cell’s internal state. Our technology enables precise control over where and when a genetic payload is activated, solving one of the biggest bottlenecks in genetic medicine: cell-type specificity. By programming mRNAs to turn on only in target cells, we can unlock new classes of therapies for diseases that are currently untreatable.

The company is co-founded by MIT’s Prof. Jim Collins (‘Father of Synthetic Biology’), Stanford’s Prof. Xiaojing Gao, CEO Sophia Lugo, and CSO Dr. Eerik Kaseniit. Radar is backed by top-tier investors including NfX Bio, Eli Lilly & Co, KdT Ventures, Biovision Ventures, Artis Ventures, and Pear VC. The company has won multiple industry honors including J&J’s Cell & Gene Therapy QuickPitch, AbbVie’s Golden Ticket, and Amgen’s DEI Award.

Project Title

OPTIMIZING CELL-SPECIFIC RNA SENSORS FOR PRECISION THERAPEUTICS

Project summary

Radar Therapeutics is seeking a scholar who will lead a self-contained project supporting Radar’s efforts to optimize the performance of its cell-specific RNA sensors. The goal is to design sensors that are fully ON in target cells and completely OFF elsewhere. To achieve this, the student will experimentally test hypotheses related to improving sensor design - ranging from enhancing structural recognition by ADAR enzymes to boosting translation initiation and investigating structure-function relationships through RNA structure probing.

This will be a primarily wet lab project using foundational molecular biology techniques such as sequencing and flow cytometry. Depending on project direction, the work may also involve in vitro mRNA generation (with and without RNA modifications), DMS-seq, and lentiviral assays.

RESponsibility

• Design and execute molecular biology experiments to test sensor performance.

• Generate and analyze sequencing and flow cytometry data.

• Perform cloning, transfection, and RNA work (including in vitro transcription and modification).

• Support lentiviral production and cell-based assays.

• Contribute to lab meetings by presenting experimental plans and results.

• Maintain clear, detailed records of experimental procedures and findings.

About the candidate

Pluses

A motivated Master’s student in bioengineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related life sciences field. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in a research lab, comfort with basic molecular biology techniques, and a strong interest in synthetic biology and therapeutic development.

• Hands-on experience with cloning, RNA work, or cell-based assays.

• Familiarity with techniques such as flow cytometry, in vitro transcription, or sequencing.

• Experience handling sequencing data or conducting bioinformatics analyses.

• Curiosity about RNA biology or gene therapy.

• Ability to think independently and troubleshoot experiments.

• Enthusiasm for learning how research ideas move from the lab to the clinic.