Research Associate #256375

Medix™; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Medix is seeking a hands-on Research Associate to join the Protein Science & Cell Biology team on the Medra Physical AI platform. You will execute protein expression experiments and biophysical characterization, and perform cell-based assays, collaborating with scientists and roboticists to validate workflows.

You thrive on end-to-end ownership, keep rigorous ELN records, and contribute to SOP development. Required: 4–6 years in protein science with a BS/BA, or 2–4 years with an MS; strong bench

Qualifications

• BS/BA/MS in biology or related field.
• 4–6 years in protein science bench work; or 2–4 years with MS.
• Experience expressing proteins in mammalian and/or microbial systems.
• Experience with high-throughput QC and biophysical assays.
• Cell culture and mammalian cell line maintenance; flow cytometry.
• Strong documentation habits; able to work independently on defined tasks.
• Scrappy, can-do attitude and problem-solving mindset.

Responsibilities

• Execute protein expression across multiple host systems and scales.
• Run biophysical characterization assays (SPR, BLI, DSF/DSC).
• Perform cell-based binding and functional assays.
• Maintain cell culture facility; routine passaging and inventory management.
• Document experiments and SOP development in ELN.
• Collaborate with scientists and cross-functional teams for hand-offs.

Skills

Protein expression

Cell culture

Biophysical characterization

Documentation

Independent work

Collaboration

Education

BS/BA/MS in biology

Tools

Expi293/ExpiCHO

HPLC-SEC

Flow cytometry

Job description

Research Associate - Protein Science & Cell Biology

About the Role

We are looking for a highly hands-on Research Associate to join our team and support protein science and cell biology workflows on the Medra Physical AI platform. This is a role for someone who loves being at the bench, someone who has spent years honing their craft in a fast-paced industry lab and takes pride in rigorous, reproducible science.

In this position, you will work closely with scientists and roboticists to execute, validate, and optimize protein characterization workflows and cell-based assays as part of our autonomous lab platform. You thrive when given a specific task to own end-to-end, and you bring the experience and intuition to operate independently.

Key Responsibilities

• Protein Expression: Execute protein expression experiments across multiple host systems (e.g., mammalian, E. coli, cell-free) at various scales, ranging from small-scale screens to larger production runs.
• Biophysical Characterization: Run protein characterization assays, including SPR, BLI, DSF/DSC, and various developability assays.
• Cell Biology & Assays: Perform cell-based binding and functional assays to evaluate candidates against cell-surface targets and assess functional activity.
• Facility & Lab Maintenance: Own the day-to-day operation and organization of the cell culture facility, including routine passaging using sterile technique, inventory management, and equipment maintenance.
• Documentation & SOPs: Maintain accurate and detailed experimental records in electronic lab notebooks (ELN), and contribute to standard operating procedure (SOP) development.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with scientists and cross-functional team members to ensure smooth hand-offs and timely execution across the protein screening and characterization workflow.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Education: B.S., B.A., or M.S. in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Industry Experience: 4-6 years of hands‑on industry lab experience in protein science with a B.S./B.A., OR 2-4 years with an M.S. (We value deep bench experience over advanced degrees).
• Protein Expression Expertise: Demonstrated expertise in protein expression using mammalian cell lines (e.g., Expi293, ExpiCHO) and/or microbial systems.
• Characterization & QC: Strong hands‑on experience with high-throughput protein quality control and biophysical characterization.
• Cell Culture & Assays: Proven experience maintaining mammalian cell lines and performing cell-based assays in an industry setting, including flow cytometry.
• Documentation & Mindset: Strong documentation habits, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to work independently on defined tasks.
• Work Ethic: A scrappy, can‑do attitude - someone who figures things out and gets things done.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with developability assessment assays (e.g., HIC, AC‑SINS, PSR, or similar).
• Familiarity with analytical characterization techniques such as HPLC-SEC, HPLC-HIC, or FACS-based binding assays.
• Familiarity with imaging-based cell assays (e.g., high-content imaging, fluorescence microscopy).
• Experience with cell-free protein expression or specialized enzyme workflows.
• Comfort working with lab automation or robotics platforms.