Research Associate I: Cell Sorting & Protein Purification

UC San Diego Health; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is expanding its research programs in drug development, pharmacology, and health systems. The Staff Research Associate I will assist senior researchers with sample preparation for cell sorting and work on nanobody binders on cell surfaces of mammalian cells.

The role includes SPR analysis and crystallographic studies. The position requires hands-on protein expression, microbial culture, large‑scale fermentation, and experience

Qualifications

• Theoretical knowledge of chemistry or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to perform basic analytical chemistry lab experiments such as preparation of solutions and reagents according to research project needs.
• Skill in working in a fast-paced research laboratory with deadlines for research results for grant proposals, manuscripts, and presentations at scientific meetings.
• Communication skills to communicate in person, by phone, and in writing to diverse groups of persons who are laboratory staff, students, administrative staff, and academic faculty.
• Ability to maintain inventories of laboratory reagents, solvents, glassware, and related items.
• Ability to use computer software for large equipment, internet, word processing, scientific graphics, literature searches, and drawing chemical structures.
• Ability to learn new analytical chemical techniques and adapt them to ongoing research projects.
• Ability to provide oral presentation and explanation of research methods and results.
• Ability to keep detailed and understandable records of experimental procedures, results, and evaluation of research results.
• Ability to organize experiments with controls to make progress on several related projects.
• Ability to make improvements on existing procedures that require trouble‑shooting.
• Proven hands‑on experience with recombinant protein expression, microbial culture, large‑scale fermentation, cell lysis, protein purification, biochemical characterization, protein crystallization, crystal optimization, X‑ray diffraction data collection, and crystallographic analysis.
• Must have a prior knowledge in cell sorting and analysis as well as protein purification for antibody production and testing.

Responsibilities

• Under supervision, assist senior researchers with preparing samples for cell sorting and selection of nanobody binders selected on the cell surface of mammalian or other cell types.
• Support protocols and analyses involving SPR and cell analyzer to study binding affinities/specificities of surface-expressed antibodies.

Skills

Analytical chemistry techniques

Lab teamwork in fast-paced environment

Record keeping/data management

Oral and written communication

Experiment organization

Troubleshooting procedures

Protein purification experience

Cell sorting knowledge

Tools

X-ray crystallography

Job description

UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is expanding its research programs in drug development, pharmacology, and health systems. The Staff Research Associate I will assist senior researchers with sample preparation for cell sorting and work on nanobody binders on cell surfaces of mammalian cells.

The role includes SPR analysis and crystallographic studies. The position requires hands-on protein expression, microbial culture, large‑scale fermentation, and experience