Research Scientist

The ideal candidate will be curious, open-minded, hard-working, enthusiastic, motivated, detail-oriented, organized, and a team player with a proactive approach to research and development. They will seek out opportunities to facilitate understanding and make significant contributions to cross-functional teams in a collegiate and collaborative environment. This position will involve 80-90 % bench work.

What you can expect on a daily basis

Design and build plasmids for strain engineering
Prepare and submit samples for DNA Sanger sequencing and interpret the resulting data
Prepare gDNA and RNA
Coordinate gDNA and RNA sample submission for sequencing
Design primers for genotyping PCRs
Design and execute genotyping PCRs
Analyze, consolidate, document, and communicate genotyping PCR data to the team
Plate microbial strains and prepare for colony PCR
Follow scientific research principles and solid documentation practices at all times in your work
Interpretation, statistical analysis, and reporting of experimental data
Maintain a high degree of accuracy, with meticulous attention to detail
Deliver regular progress updates to the team
Mentor and train other team members as required

What we expect you to know

BS or higher degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Microbial Genetics, or a related discipline, with 2+ years of relevant experience (preferably industrial)

Experience with

• Plasmid design and construction
• Primer design
• PCR (including colony PCR, qPCR, and digital droplet PCR)
• Preparation of gDNA and RNA
• DNA and protein electrophoresis
• Microbial transformation
• Small scale growth, protein expression, and purification from microbial hosts
• Enzyme assays

Basic bioinformatics skills (Sequence alignments, BLAST, etc.)
Sterile working technique
Strong organizational skills
Excels in a collaborative environment
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Ability to adapt and excel in a rapidly changing start-up environment
Ability to troubleshoot experiments with a strong problem-solving record

What we would like you to know

Experience with

• Manipulation of filamentous fungi and yeast
• Transformation techniques and genome editing technology in fungi and yeast

Genomic sequence analysis and interpretation
Strain screening
Mutagenesis
Enzymatic assays (ELISA )
Knowledge of microbial physiology/biochemistry