Research Associate II, Protein Sciences

The role

This individual will support the discovery, engineering, and characterization of proteins. They will perform molecular biology, protein expression, and functional screening work.

What you will do

• Perform routine microbiology operations including media preparation, agar plate preparation, and aseptic technique
• Maintain rigorous good laboratory practices (GLP)
• Generate and maintain microbial cell banks and inventory records
• Support routine laboratory maintenance, equipment upkeep, and troubleshooting
• Design and execute PCR for cloning, mutagenesis, and genotyping applications
• Perform DNA assembly using Golden Gate, Gibson, and other modern cloning techniques
• Run and analyze agarose gels; perform plasmid preparation and nucleic acid quantification
• Perform sequencing analysis using NGS technologies and software
• Maintain accurate construct and strain records in Benchling
• Express engineered protein constructs across bacterial, yeast, and/or fungal expression systems

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or related discipline
• 2-5 years of relevant research experience
• Hands-on experience with core microbiology operations: media prep, agar plate prep, aseptic technique, and general GLP
• Strong hands-on experience with molecular cloning: design, PCR, gel electrophoresis and analysis, isolation, Golden Gate, Gibson assembly, and related techniques
• Experience with protein analysis techniques including SDS-PAGE and Western blot
• Strong communication, organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to independently execute experiments and troubleshoot routine issues

Nice to have

• Exposure to high-throughput screening workflows
• Experience working across multiple host organisms, such as E. coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris, Bacillus, Pseudomonas putida, or Aspergillus niger
• Familiarity with bioinformatics/ELN tools such as Benchling and Geneious
• Experience with protein purification and chromatography techniques
• Experience supporting protein engineering or functional screening campaigns

Benefits

• healthcare coverage
• annual incentive program
• retirement benefits
• broad range of other benefits

About the company

Flagship Pioneering is a platform innovation company that invents and builds companies that change the world. It unites innovation, company creation, and capital investment to advance science and technology.