Scientist/ Senior Scientist - Renal Biology
Until
San Francisco, CA, USA
USD 120k-180k / year + Equity
Posted on Jan 28, 2026
Until is a moonshot company building a “pause button” for biology. Our near-term focus is organ-scale reversible cryopreservation: preserving donated organs at subzero temperatures without ice formation, then rewarming them uniformly for transplant. By solving this grand challenge, we’re laying the foundation for whole-body reversible cryopreservation, giving patients a bridge to future cures.
To achieve our goal, we are assembling an interdisciplinary team to develop perfusion systems, cryoprotectant formulations, and vitrification and rewarming hardware.
We envision a future where no transplantable organ is lost to logistics, and no terminal diagnosis is final because patients can safely wait for future medicine to arrive.
About the Role
You will be part of a team that designs, builds, and characterizes new technologies that form the foundation of organ-scale reversible cryopreservation. We are seeking a Scientist/Senior Scientist to join our team. As a (Sr.) Scientist in Renal Biology, you will be an integral member of the team advancing cryopreservation formulations. You will design, execute, and analyze high throughput experiments focused on kidney biology. You will establish experimental approaches to characterize toxicity and permeability of new cryoprotectant solutions using kidney cell cultures and 3D in vitro kidney models. Your work will establish novel approaches of using predictive 2D and 3D models for toxicity assessment to help enable human-sized kidney preservation and help bridge patients to future cures.
Key Responsibilities
- Build clinically translatable healthy in vitro models using primary/immortalized renal cells and kidney slices (PKCS)
- Design and implement high throughput screening (HTS) experiments to characterize toxicity and permeability of new compounds targeting cells and organ model levels
- Develop innovative approaches to characterize nephrotoxicity and permeability of new compounds and their interactions with kidney structures
- Apply genomics techniques such as GWAS, RNAseq, and FISH to inform and refine molecular discovery and in vitro models
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to translate experimental findings into new cryoprotectant solutions for human-sized organ preservation
- Recruit and mentor team members and take on greater responsibility for experimental design and strategy as needed
Who You Are
- Have a PhD/Postdoc training in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Tissue Engineering, Pharmacology, or a related field, or have an equivalent (4+ years) of industry experience leading research projects end-to-end
- Have a track record of scientific excellence and autonomy, with the ability to independently develop and carry out complex experiments in renal biology
- Are energized by fast-paced environments with high sense of mission and urgency
- You possess a track record of scientific excellence and autonomy, with the ability to independently develop and carry out complex experiments
- You bring a collaborative mindset and value diverse perspectives
- Proficiency with genomics platforms and analytical methods (e.g., GWAS, RNA sequencing, FISH)
- Strong command of instrumentation techniques for chemical characterization, including DSC, HPLC, GC/LCMS, and FPLC
- Experience evaluating drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to inform preclinical development
Nice to have
Benefits
- Opportunity for outsized impact creating the future as an early team member
- Generous medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage for employees and their dependents
- Flexible time off and paid holidays
- Competitive compensation package, including salary and equity
- Access to a 401(k) retirement savings plan
- FSA and commuter benefits
- Subsidized lunch daily
As an equal opportunity employer, Until is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals. All applicants for positions at Until will be treated without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
120000 - 180000 USD a year
While this represents our expected range based on market data, final compensation will be determined based on your specific qualifications and may be outside this range. Please keep in mind that the equity portion of the offer is not included in this estimate.