Medicinal Chemistry Intern

6d6 days ago

Cytokinetics

South San Francisco, US · Full-time · $44,000 – $50,000

About this role

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company building on over 25 years of muscle biology innovations. We advance medicines for patients with cardiac muscle dysfunction diseases. Our annual Internship Program invests in enthusiastic students and recent graduates for fresh perspectives on meaningful projects.

Support a hit-to-lead medicinal chemistry project to improve potency and selectivity of small-molecule inhibitors against a defined biological target. Explore structure-activity relationships around a lead scaffold to inform synthetic design. Evaluate compounds in biochemical and/or cellular assays to guide iterative decisions.

Participate in design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of novel biologically active molecules. Apply in-silico machine learning models to inform compound design. Collaborate closely with colleagues in other groups on exploratory research and lead optimization.

Assist in optimizing physicochemical and early ADME properties like solubility and stability under project scientists' guidance. Summarize and interpret data, presenting findings in research meetings. Build a strong foundation for a biopharmaceutical career through challenging experiences.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry required
Prior synthetic organic chemistry lab experience strongly required
Demonstrated expertise in organic synthesis, chromatographic purification methods, and compound characterization using modern analytical techniques (NMR, MS, HPLC, etc.)
Organized, detail-oriented, excellent record-keeping skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to work independently and perform well in a team environment

Responsibilities

Support hit-to-lead medicinal chemistry project aimed at improving potency and selectivity of small-molecule inhibitors against a defined biological target
Explore structure-activity relationships (SAR) around a lead scaffold to inform synthetic design
Evaluate compounds in biochemical and/or cellular assays to guide iterative design decisions
Assist in optimizing physicochemical and early ADME properties (solubility, stability) under guidance from project scientists
Participate in the design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of novel biologically active molecules
Apply in-silico machine learning models to inform compound design
Contribute to exploratory research and lead optimization projects, collaborating closely with colleagues in other groups
Summarize/interpret data and present findings in research meetings