Lead Synthetic Biologist for AI-Driven Crop Protection

Quercus Bio; Madison (WI); In loco; USD 120.000 - 150.000; Tempo pieno

Vantaggi offerti da questo lavoro

Monthly health allowance

PTO

401(k) with company match

Equity opportunity

Descrizione del lavoro

Quercus Biosolutions, an in-office Madison, WI-based biotech company, seeks a Lead Scientist to head the DNA-to-protein workflow and build capabilities for crop protection discovery. You will oversee outsourced DNA production, high-throughput protein production, and cell-free platform development, while mentoring research associates and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

This full-time role combines hands-on lab work with supervision, SOP development, and progress tracking.

Competenze

• M.S. or Ph.D. in synthetic biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical engineering, or a related discipline.
• At least five years of relevant laboratory experience; Ph.D. research may count toward this requirement.
• Hands-on experience with cell-free protein expression, recombinant protein production, and contemporary molecular biology techniques, including DNA construct design.
• Experience developing robust, high-throughput laboratory workflows, with a working knowledge of protein biochemistry and purification fundamentals.
• Strong experimental design and troubleshooting skills, including design of experiments and data analysis using Excel and/or Python.
• Ability to work independently, collaborate across scientific disciplines and external organizations, and guide a small laboratory team.
• Excellent attention to detail, scientific rigor, and a process-oriented approach to improving quality and reproducibility.

Mansioni

• Design DNA constructs and manage external DNA synthesis vendors and contract research organizations to meet program timelines, quality standards, and cost objectives.
• Oversee DNA receipt, quality control, normalization, and archiving to support reliable downstream expression.
• Develop, optimize, and run cell-free and recombinant protein expression workflows for small-scale, high-throughput production.
• Improve protein yield, solubility, quality, and reproducibility; troubleshoot expression failures and other workflow bottlenecks.
• Develop automated liquid handling workflows and use experimental design and data analysis to improve throughput and efficiency.
• Establish and document standard operating procedures, track performance metrics, and maintain rigorous experimental records.
• Identify technology and process constraints, evaluate new approaches, and implement improvements that support long-term platform development.

Conoscenze

Cell-free expression

Protein production

Experimental design

Data analysis

Team leadership

Independent work

Formazione

M.S. or Ph.D. in relevant field

Descrizione del lavoro

Quercus Biosolutions, an in-office Madison, WI-based biotech company, seeks a Lead Scientist to head the DNA-to-protein workflow and build capabilities for crop protection discovery. You will oversee outsourced DNA production, high-throughput protein production, and cell-free platform development, while mentoring research associates and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

This full-time role combines hands-on lab work with supervision, SOP development, and progress tracking.