Scientist, LNP-Lipid Chemistry
NewLimit· Delivery Sciences
South San Francisco, CA$130k - $171kfull-timePosted 1mo ago
About the role
Lipid chemist role focused on designing, synthesizing, and characterizing ionizable lipids, PEG-lipid conjugates, and conjugates to enable targeted LNP delivery beyond the liver, in collaboration with delivery sciences and biology teams.
Responsibilities
- Design new ionizable lipids and lipid conjugates for antibodies, peptides, and other targeting moieties across multiple structural families, pushing the platform beyond current-generation materials.
- Devise and execute practical synthetic routes to priority targets to support pipeline needs for targeting lipids.
- Plan synthesis and purification for these modalities with scale and final purity in mind from the outset, delivering against agreed project timelines.
- Build ionizable and targeting lipids for the tLNP platform using an SAR-based approach to guide the next design cycle rather than simply cataloging results.
- Develop conjugation chemistry that links peptides, antibodies, nanobodies, and small-molecule ligands to lipid anchors, generating building blocks for cell- and tissue-selective delivery to support tLNP research and pipeline targets.
- Turn in vitro and in vivo data from discovery teams into concrete structural hypotheses and revised molecules.
- Present synthetic strategy, experimental results, and SAR conclusions, authoring protocols and technical reports.
Qualifications
- PhD in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, or a related discipline, plus 1–2 years of relevant work; or an MS with 5 years of focused lipid design experience for liposomal or lipid nanoparticle applications.
- Strong skill set in the design and synthesis of new lipids or other delivery chemistries, performed personally rather than with a supervisor directing each step.
- SAR-driven design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of ionizable lipids and PEG-lipid conjugates, using tools such as ChemDraw, Sci-Finder, Reaxsys, and AI-based SAR prediction tools for tLNP applications.
- Working knowledge of conjugation chemistries for attaching targeting moieties such as peptides, antibodies, nanobodies, and small-molecule ligands, including linker design and the selection of suitable biorthogonal or site-specific handles.
- Practical purification skills spanning normal- and reverse-phase chromatography and preparative HPLC.
- Analytical characterization across LC-CAD, LC-UV, LC-MS/MS, and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P as needed), with the ability to deconvolute the data to produce well-characterized lipids.
Skills
Required:Lipid design and synthesisConjugation chemistry
Benefits
- Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
- 401(k) plan with company match.
- Paid parental leave.
- Industry-leading PTO: 20 days per year plus holidays.
- On-site meals and snacks.
Last updated Sep 3, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About NewLimit
Extending human healthspan
NewLimit is extending human healthspan by unlocking regenerative potential.
reprogrammingepigeneticsmedicineaginglongevity
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