Associate Scientist I

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness.

We are looking for a self-motivated and eager to learn Associate Scientist I to play a pivotal role in screening, purifying, and characterizing new enzyme mutants enabling next-generation sequencing chemistry.  You will work with cross-functional departments to understand enzyme requirements and prepare purified samples that meet specifications and help support overall departmental innovation.

If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Perform protein purification using AKTA-based column chromatography and high-throughput automation.
• Transformation of target clones and expansion of E. coli bacterial cultures from colony to liter scale.
• Utilize structure-based design of enzymes to improve manufacturability, stability, and optimization of novel functionalities including reengineering DNA binding sites.
• Perform SDS-PAGE and UV or colorimetric protein concentration measurements.
• Support high-throughput protein engineering screening assays and data analysis.
• Collaboratively develop methods and instrumentation to characterize stability of enzymes used in NGS based applications.
• Execute and optimize fluorescence-based assays to screen conditions for optimal kinetics and protein stability.
• Maintain good documentation practices including organization of data and completion of batch records.
• Interact closely with cross-functional departments to support enzymology needs prior to and through commercialization of technology.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelors degree in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, bioengineering, chemical engineering or a related discipline with 3+ years of industry related experience; or Master’s Degree with 1+ years of industry related experience and/or training.
• Experience expressing and purifying proteins from E. coli using a variety of chromatography methods including IMAC (His-tag), affinity, ion-exchange, and size-exclusion chromatography.
• Experience using and writing programs in Unicorn software on AKTA FPLC systems.
• Capability to collaboratively develop and qualify biophysical assays for characterizing protein stability and function.
• Experience conducting routine plasmid transformation and expression in E. coli cultures.
• Ability to qualify fluorescent microscopy assays in solution and on a surface.
• Comfortability operating 96-well plates and absorbance readers.
• Experience with buffer preparation, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, Western Blotting, and other protein characterization techniques.
• Familiarity with automation technology and programming language.
• Willingness to learn and grow in a fast-paced and intellectually rewarding environment

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds.

Location:

• San Diego, CA

Travel: 

• N/A

Job Type:

• Full-time/Exempt

Base Compensation Pay Range:

• $79,000 - $97,000

In addition to base compensation noted above, you will be eligible for stock options, discretionary annual bonus, no cost health insurance plans, 401k with company match, and flexible paid time off. 

Please note: Base compensation will depend on multiple factors, including geographic location, qualifications, and experience. 

We foster an environment such that all people are afforded the freedom to pursue their passions without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law.