Research Associate, Molecular Biology & Strain Improvement

Title: Research Associate, Molecular Biology & Strain Improvement
Type: Full-Time
Location: Alameda, CA
Supervisor: Scientist, Screening & Strain Improvement

COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Checkerspot designs performance materials at a molecular level with technology at the nexus of biology and chemistry. By engaging directly with product users and partnering with socially responsible corporations, we design and bring to market superior products with better materials to meet real needs. Through large scale microbial fermentation, we can deliver unique oils discovered in nature, but not previously accessible commercially. Our initial focus is on triglycerides that can impart high value physical properties for materials by leveraging unique molecular scaffolds. Our approach is also more sustainable than relying on petrochemical inputs.
Our first materials are next-gen polyurethanes and textile coatings/finishes that make consumer products perform at levels never before possible. We launched WNDR Alpine, an outdoor recreation brand whose first product is a high-performance ski, the Intention 110. We are readying the release of several other outdoor recreation products to the market to validate our approach and to kickstart a
sequence of iterative projects based on our technology.

COMPANY CULTURE
Our company culture can best be understood through experience. Come get to know us! We’d like to be known more by what we do than what we say.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
We seek an enthusiastic, detail-oriented problem solver to join our Molecular Biology & Strain Improvement group as a Research Associate.

Key responsibilities include:
● Using automated liquid handling systems and other automation tools to aid in identifying improved strains and to solve mission-critical biological problems
● Management of a high throughput screening pipeline, including strain performance data aggregation and analysis
● Microplate-based assay execution and development
● Benchmarking microbial strain performance in shake flasks
● Routine microbial strain manipulation, including propagation and cryo-preservation
● Occasional routine molecular biology activities including plasmid preparation, enzymatic manipulation of nucleic acids, and qPCR

KEY REQUIREMENTS
● 0 to 1 year of industry experience with a B.S. degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, or related disciplines with 1-2 years of relevant hands-on research experience
● High-throughput screening or lab automation experience, including experience with scripting, is preferable but not required
● Familiarity with standard microbiology and molecular biology techniques
● Experience with fungal, plant, or microbial model systems or with high-throughput screening in mammalian cells
● Excellent written and oral communication skills
● Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
● Committed to safety in a laboratory environment
● Must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis

BENEFITS
Checkerspot offers its employees a competitive benefits and compensation package. The base pay for this role is between $55,000 and $70,000/annually. Your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Checkerspot is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.