Research Associate

Nonfiction Laboratories; San Francisco (CA); On-site; Full time

Job summary

A biotechnology startup in San Francisco is seeking a Research Associate to enhance and stabilize protein engineering workflows. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in molecular biology, cloning, and experience using an electronic lab notebook. You'll contribute significantly to our innovative protein research efforts in a collaborative environment. This role requires on-site work in our laboratory.

Qualifications

• Experience with PCR including primer design and E. coli transformation.
• Ability to interpret plasmid maps and design cloning protocols.
• Experience using an ELN to track laboratory tasks and inventory.

Responsibilities

• Industrialize existing protein engineering workflows.
• Troubleshoot and improve laboratory workflows.
• Collaborate with colleagues in protein engineering.

Skills

Molecular Biology (PCR, primer design)

Cloning techniques (Gibson Assembly, Golden Gate)

Electronic lab notebook usage

Job description

Nonfiction Laboratories is a biotechnology startup based in San Francisco, California. We’re a science- and invention-driven company, developing a new platform for magnetogenetic control over therapeutic proteins. We want to be able to take any therapeutically-useful protein and be able to turn its activity on/off using magnets. By building therapeutics that can be turned on when and where you need the drug, we spare healthy tissue while targeting disease tissue harder. The potential level of impact here is significant and uncommon — treatments that are more safe, precise, and effective, across a wide range of diseases. We want to open up an entirely new modality and field of research.

To pull this off, we need the most talented inventors, engineers, and scientists we can find. Expect lots of hard work, at the bleeding edge of a new field. We love to collaborate with external colleagues, including many excellent academic laboratories. We value our friendly, invention-focused culture. Doing new things is hard! If you are up to the challenge, please consider applying.

The Role

Nonfiction Laboratories is seeking a talented and motivated candidate to join our team as a Research Associate, focusing on scaling our workflows around building and evaluating our protein engineering libraries. You will play a critical role in industrializing our existing protein engineering workflows, troubleshooting, and generally making our workflows more robust.

Required

• Molecular Biology — PCR (including primer design), minipreps, gels and gel extraction, proper pipette technique, E. coli and yeast culture and transformation.
• Cloning — Gibson Assembly, Golden Gate. Colony PCR. Ability to interpret a plasmid map, review a construct description, and select the primers, gene fragment sequence, and protocol to build the desired construct.
• Experience using and maintaining an electronic lab notebook (ELN) to track tasks, inventory status, and periodic project updates.
• Ability to work on-site in our laboratory in San Francisco.

Nice to have

• Experience running ELISAs, with the ability to troubleshoot. Bonus for kinetic and cell-based ELISAs.
• Experience independently planning library diversification protocols (e.g., site-directed mutagenesis, linker screens, transposase libraries).
• Familiarity with fluorescent microscopy.
• Experience with protein purification preps.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture.
• Basic programming skills (Python) for data analysis, primer design, and automation scripting.

Nonfiction Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.