Scientist – Protein Biochemistry and Engineering

Molagri; Toronto; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A Toronto-based agricultural biotechnology startup is seeking a Scientist specializing in Protein Biochemistry. The ideal candidate will lead the discovery of insect receptor protein-binders, involving designing constructs, purifying proteins, and utilizing high-throughput screening methods. Applicants should have a PhD (or equivalent) in relevant fields, with hands-on experience in protein expression in insect cells and a strong grasp of protein purification strategies. This exciting role offers a compensation of $85,000 to $100,000 CAD plus equity and benefits.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with recombinant protein expression in insect cells.
• Strong understanding of protein purification strategies.
• Experience with NGS library preparation and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design constructs for target insect protein receptors.
• Purify recombinant proteins using chromatographic methods.
• Optimize workflow for high-quality protein production.
• Develop and execute high-throughput screening campaigns.
• Analyze enriched pools by next-generation sequencing.

Skills

Recombinant protein expression

Protein purification strategies

Protein characterization techniques

Molecular cloning

Library screening by FACS

Education

PhD in biochemistry or related field

Job description

Scientist – Protein Biochemistry and Engineering

About our company

We are a Toronto-based agricultural biotechnology startup developing a novel platform for precision bioinsecticides. Our products are designed to eliminate target insect pests while leaving beneficial insects, pollinators, and the broader environment unharmed.

The Role

We are looking for a Scientist to drive our insect receptor protein-binder discovery engine. You will own the wet-lab discovery pipeline, which includes producing and characterizing target insect receptors and developing high-throughput screening methods to identify high-affinity binders. You will also work directly with our computational team by generating the biophysical data needed to inform in silico protein design.

Compensation

• $85,000 to $100,000 CAD + equity + benefits.

What You’ll Do

• Design constructs for and express target insect protein receptors using insect cell expression systems (e.g., Sf9 or Hi5).
• Purify recombinant proteins using a range of chromatographic methods (affinity, SEC, ion exchange, HIC and similar).
• Optimize expression and purification workflows to produce high-quality protein for downstream screening and biophysical studies.
• Develop and execute high-throughput screening campaigns to identify binders from oligonucleotide-encoded libraries, including building display-based selection systems (e.g., yeast or bacterial display) and screening binders using FACS (or orthogonal methods).
• Analyze enriched pools by next-generation sequencing to identify top binder candidates.
• Validate lead hits using binding assays such as BLI or SPR.
• Contribute to experimental planning, data analysis, and communication of results to the broader team.

What You Bring

• PhD (or MSc + equivalent experience) in biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biology, protein engineering, or a related field.
• Hands‑on experience with recombinant protein expression in insect cells, including construct design, baculovirus generation, and expression optimization.
• Strong understanding of protein purification strategies (affinity chromatography, SEC, ion exchange, HIC) and the ability to troubleshoot and optimize workflows independently.
• Experience with protein characterization techniques (DLS, TEM, SEC, thermal stability assays, or similar).
• Familiarity with display technologies (yeast display, bacterial display, or phage display) and library screening by FACS.
• Experience with NGS library preparation and analysis of enrichment data.
• Experience with quantitative binding measurements (BLI, SPR, or similar).
• Proficiency in molecular cloning and standard molecular biology techniques.

Nice to Have

• Experience with structural biology (cryo‑EM, X-ray crystallography, or related).
• Prior work in agricultural biotechnology, entomology, or insect biology.
• Comfort working in an early‑stage startup environment.