Research Associate (Biology)

This is an Exempt, Full-Time position based in our Menlo Park, CA office. 

Aether Biomachines is on a mission to build the post-scarcity future using peptide-based nanotechnology as the driving force for the next industrial revolution. By creating the world's most advanced high-throughput robotic laboratory, we are generating data at unprecedented scales to fuel deep learning algorithms. We're assembling a diverse and dynamic team of self-starters, engineers, sci-fi enthusiasts, and visionaries, and we invite you to join us on this journey.

We're breaking barriers in laboratory automation to power world-class machine learning models with faster, broader, and more robust robotic sample processing systems. Our goal is to transform peptides from niche catalysts into general-purpose molecular assemblers using our platform, and enabling a future of abundance for the human race.

Our Biology team focuses on developing, improving, and implementing biological processes that enable design, build, test, learn cycles, and product development. We craft new DNA and protein manipulation processes to enable program goals. We diagnose and troubleshoot workflows to improve performance and efficiency. We scale our methods to deliver on turnaround time and throughput goals. The Biology team works closely with our Software, Machine Learning, Automation, and Product colleagues to collectively succeed on Aether’s mission. As a team of scientists with diverse expertise, we collaborate and support each other extensively in a dynamic scientific environment.  

 

What we are looking for in you

We are looking for a talented and adaptable Research Associate to join our Biology team and contribute to method development, refinement, and execution. In this role, you will be brainstorming a biological process with colleagues to meet technical objectives, planning and executing method development experiments to best instantiate the biological process, and then coordinating with the Automation team to implement and scale the biological process. You will bring the energy, skills, and experience to build new capabilities which expand and deliver Aether’s product pipeline. You will also embrace exposure to a broad range of scientific, engineering, and computational disciplines and the opportunity to develop and optimize a DNA assembly method to be implemented into Production for use in all of our protein engineering programs. You will be on-site as this is mostly an in-person lab role with some flexibility for occasional remote work.

What you will be doing

• Explore an experimental parameter space to optimize DNA or protein processes toward performance objectives, for example optimizing DNA assembly efficiency to >95% or improving protein purification yield to achieve a target mass of purified protein
• Troubleshoot biological processes to identify failure modes and mitigation strategies, for example identifying specific DNA sequences that contribute to DNA assembly failure
• Analyze data and share outcomes to both technical and general audiences
• Collaborate and communicate across teams to enable planning, execution, and decision making
• Contribute to and maintain a safe, efficient, and organized lab environment

What you must have

• Background in a life science discipline (molecular biology, protein engineering, synthetic biology, antibody engineering, biochemistry, chemistry, or related fields)
• Minimum 2+ years of full-time industry laboratory experience Experience with a range of modern molecular biology, DNA manipulation, assembly, and/or sequencing techniques
• Experience with a range of protein/peptide production, manipulation, and/or characterization techniques 
• Demonstrated track record of developing, improving, and executing a biological process that met an objective (e.g. optimizing a DNA extraction protocol or characterizing a variety of protein purification methods to enable selecting one for production use)
• Familiarity with common data analysis techniques Detail-oriented record-keeping skills and methodical organization
• Growth mindset and the desire to give and receive feedback to improve yourself and your teammates
• Clear, detailed, and effective communication of both low-level scientific details and big picture context 

What you should have

• 4+ years in industry is a plus
• Experience with ELN and LIMS systems is a plus

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? 

We encourage anyone who thinks they would excel at Aether to apply, no matter their background or how they identify.

Benefits and Perks

• Full suite of health benefits