Elegen is blazing a path towards a biology-based economy. Through unique insight and innovation Elegen can produce DNA in ≤1 week that is 10x longer and 20x more accurate than any available methods, letting scientists everywhere streamline and accelerate their work.

We are seeking an intensely passionate and creative molecular biologist to become one of the founding members of our growing R&D team, spearheading the development of our revolutionary gene synthesis technology. As a part of our team, they will play a central role in defining and implementing molecular biology strategies for scalable production of long synthetic DNA.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and self-driven scientist looking to join a uniquely innovative, rapidly moving, high impact start-up.  In addition to working on cutting edge technology, you will help us establish a strong culture of mutual respect, integrity, and collaboration while working alongside some of Silicon Valley’s best scientists and engineers.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Invent and develop novel molecular biology techniques related to DNA assembly.
• Work closely with engineers and external partners to develop protocols for gene synthesis on microfluidic platforms.
• Lead the molecular biology efforts through the process scale-up, validation and commercialization stages of the project.
• Develop analytical methodologies to aid product development and work closely with bioinformatics to develop sequencing-based QC techniques.
• Develop protocols into reproducible standard operating procedures suitable for commercial release and support product documentation.

Essential Candidate Profile:

• Ph.D. in chemistry, molecular biology, synthetic biology, or a related field.
• Deep expertise in molecular biology techniques. Particularly PCR, gene manipulation, DNA analysis and purification.
• Experience in solid phase assay chemistry, preferably related to nucleic acid immobilization and amplification.
• Previous experience in devising, troubleshooting, and optimizing protocols for molecular biology workflows on automated instrumentation.
• Strong track record of working in a highly collaborative environment on multidisciplinary projects.
• Self-starter, with a strong passion for developing and implementing new molecular biology techniques.

Preferred Candidate Qualifications:

• In-depth knowledge of PCR based gene assembly techniques.
• In-depth knowledge of PCR troubleshooting of highly multiplexed systems and previous experience with commercialization of PCR based assays.
• Experience working with biochemical assays on microfluidic devices, especially reactions on solid supports.
• Basic scripting skills in Python.
• Working knowledge of synthetic biology techniques, especially de novo gene synthesis, and strong understanding of synthetic biology applications.