Associate Scientist I (Contract), Research

Responsibilities

• Set up, optimize, and troubleshoot upstream BSL-2 level pathogenic bacterial culture using different scales of the Sartorius bioreactor systems and shake flasks.
• Maintain and expand bacterial cell bank, perform buffer preparation, and conduct routine instrument maintenance.
• Purify and process polysaccharides using a variety of methods, including organic solvent extraction, acid boil, dialysis, FPLC chromatography, tangential flow filtration (TFF), and microfluidizer.
• Actively contribute to designing and developing new protocols, assays, and laboratory procedures from first principles to compare different activation chemistries for polysaccharides and their effects on the conjugation process.
• Analyze polysaccharides and conjugates with methods including colorimetric assays, HPLC assays, and SEC-MALS.
• Collect, maintain highly organized data records, and ensure the accuracy and integrity of Benchling entries.
• Attend team meetings ready to provide updates on development progress.

Qualifications

• BS. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field with minimum 1 year of industry experience, or B.S. with 2+ internships or related laboratory experiences.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory-scale fermentation techniques, including shake flasks and bioreactors, is required.
• Demonstrate proficiency in fundamental laboratory techniques, including aseptic sample handling, precision pipetting, SDS-PAGE, and Western blotting, is required.
• Experience in purification methods such as dialysis, diafiltration, size-exclusion chromatography, and tangential flow filtration (TFF) is highly desirable.
• Experience in analytical methods, including colorimetric assays, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), SDS-PAGE, and Western blotting for characterization of reaction products, is a plus.
• Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills: ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in written formats.
• Self-starter: ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment and collaborate effectively with other team members.
• Enthusiasm to learn the new skills and techniques necessary to tackle problems outside of the current area of expertise.

Benefits

Not specified.

Schedule

Not specified.

Pay

$40/hr. - 45/hr.