Molecular Biologist

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc; Westbrook (ME); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. in Maine seeks a Molecular Biologist to join a fast-paced discovery team bridging molecular biology and diagnostics.

You will apply diverse techniques to support development of biological reagents and assays, collaborating across partners to advance targets from sequence to validated reagents. You will contribute to antibody generation, recombinant protein expression, and characterization, while expanding skills in automation and in silico design to meet project

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, or related life science.
• Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques including primer design, cloning, and sequence analysis.
• Experience generating and characterizing biological reagents such as antibodies or recombinant proteins.
• Comfort working across a broad experimental toolkit and adapting to project needs.
• Cross-functional collaboration with discovery or assay development teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute molecular biology workflows for construct development, including primer design, PCR-based cloning, Gibson assembly, site-directed mutagenesis, and sequence verification.
• Develop and optimize recombinant expression constructs using mammalian, insect, or bacterial systems to support antigen and reagent production.
• Devise and execute biological reagent development workflows with a focus on antibody generation, including platform selection, screening, and hit confirmation.
• Perform protein and antibody characterization using SDS-PAGE, Western blot, ELISA, and analytical SEC.
• Contribute to throughput and reproducibility improvements, including automation where applicable.
• Explore in silico tools and AI to aid antibody candidate design.
• Collaborate with downstream immunoassay development teams to communicate reagent performance and meet milestones.
• Prepare clear progress updates for cross-functional audiences and document experiments with proper records.
• Leverage literature to identify new technologies in molecular biology, expression, and reagent development.
• Ensure compliance with safety procedures and regulatory requirements.

Job description

motivated Molecular Biologist to join a fast-paced discovery team working at the intersection of molecular biology and diagnostics. The successful candidate will apply a broad range of molecular biology and biochemistry techniques that support the development of biological reagents - including but not limited to antibody selection, vector design, guide RNA creation, cloning and cDNA library development. Outputs from this position support novel immunoassay reagent and format development in collaboration with downstream partners. The ideal candidate will thrive in a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and collaborative environment.

Why This Role Matters:

At IDEXX, developing high-quality biological reagents is foundational to advancing companion animal health diagnostics. The Reagent Discovery team is the critical bridge between biomarker discovery and immunoassay development. As part of the Reagent Discovery team, you will apply your molecular biology expertise to move novel targets from sequence to validated reagent, contributing directly to new diagnostic tools for the veterinarians and pet owners we serve. We value scientific curiosity and technical breadth - this role is an opportunity to grow alongside a team tackling complex problems across the full reagent development workflow.

• You have strong hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques, including primer design, cloning, and recombinant construct development, and can apply these skills to solve complex biological problems.

• You have experience generating and analytically characterizing biological reagents - antibodies, recombinant proteins, or similar - and understand the bench workflow from protein construct design through expression and basic characterization.

• You are comfortable working across a broad experimental toolkit and are eager to develop new skills as project needs evolve.

• You have worked cross-functionally with discovery or assay development teams, communicating experimental data clearly and aligning with stakeholders on project timelines.

• You are organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to advance multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment.

In this role, you will:

• Design and execute molecular biology workflows for construct development, including primer design, PCR-based cloning, Gibson assembly, site-directed mutagenesis, and sequence verification.

• Develop and optimize recombinant expression constructs using mammalian, insect, or bacterial systems to support antigen and reagent production.

• Devise and execute biological reagent development workflows with a primary focus on antibody generation, including platform selection, screening, and hit confirmation.

• Perform protein and antibody characterization utilizing standard biochemical techniques including SDS-PAGE, Western blot, ELISA, and analytical SEC.

• Contribute to the development and optimization of workflows that increase throughput and reproducibility, including the use of automation tools where applicable.

• Explore the use of in silico tools and AI to generate and design antibody candidates

• Partner with downstream immunoassay development teams to communicate reagent performance data, define acceptance criteria, and meet delivery milestones.

• Generate clear, concise presentations and communicate progress updates to cross-functional audiences.

• Leverage published literature to identify novel molecular biology, expression, and reagent development technologies applicable to the Reagent Discovery pipeline.

• Document experiments and maintain accurate electronic records. Adheres to appropriate safety procedures and regulatory requirements.

What You Need to Succeed:

• A degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, or a related life science discipline. Candidates should possess a Bachelor's with 5-7 years' of relevant laboratory experience, or a Master's with 3-5 years' of relevant laboratory experience.

• Strong hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques including primer design, PCR, restriction enzyme cloning, Gibson assembly, site-directed mutagenesis, and sequence analysis'