About the Position
Fermeate is seeking a highly motivated Scientist that will work as part of a collaborative team to lead the development of microbial strains for production of bio-based molecular products. The successful candidate will have experience with the 'design–build–test–learn' cycle of metabolic and microbial strain engineering, particularly in yeast and E. coli. This position will involve molecular cloning, designing metabolic pathway expression and integration cassettes, building and screening strains, measuring and quantifying strain performance, and engineering and characterizing enzymes. As an early team member, you will work in a cross-functional team and play a key role in actively shaping both the scientific direction and strategic vision of the company.
Location: San Francisco, CA, US
Position Type: In-Person, On Site
Role & Responsibilities
- Construct heterologous metabolic pathways in E. coli and yeast for production of molecular products
- Develop and optimize microbial strains to improve production of target molecules
- Design experiments to assess the production efficiency of new microbial strains and analyze the resulting data
- Develop hypotheses and implement approaches to identify cellular metabolic bottlenecks and define new targets for strain engineering
- Create new molecular biology tools and protocols to improve the efficiency of strain engineering and optimization processes
- Participate in technical discussions, research planning, and present findings regularly at company meetings
- Work collaboratively with other members of the team (fermentation, hardware, AI) to facilitate learning of new skill sets and development of new tools
Qualifications & Experience
- BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemical engineering, bioengineering, molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or related fields. Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience for BS or 3 years for MS
- Experience with strain engineering and metabolic pathway design in various microorganisms (e.g., S. cerevisiae and E. coli)
- Experience with molecular biology and gene editing (e.g., CRISPR) techniques
- Experience with analytical chemistry instruments (e.g., HPLC, GC)
- Experience with protein engineering
- Proficient in standard laboratory procedures, sterile techniques, safety practice, and data interpretation and reporting
- Proficient in documentation tracking and record keeping
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Capable of taking initiative, managing priorities, handling multiple tasks, and adapting to shifting needs
- Capable of working in a team and collaborating effectively
- A strong desire to grow as a scientist, learn new techniques, and adopt innovative technologies
Nice-to-haves (but not required)
- Experience with genetic circuit design and testing
- Experience with fermentation and running of bioreactors
- Experience with computational and experimental systems biology (e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, FBA/stoichiometric metabolic models)
- Experience with non-model microorganisms
- Previous experience in a synthetic biology or industrial biotechnology startup/company
Benefits
- Base salary ($80,000/yr - $90,000/yr) with stock options, bonus, employee benefits, healthcare benefits (medical, vision & dental), and unlimited paid time off
- Professional growth and career development opportunities in a fast-paced startup
- Company social events
Travel: Not required
Work Authorization: Authorized to work in the US. We do not sponsor visas.
Fermeate is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.