Research Associate II, Discovery (Madison)

About us

At the forefront of farming and food, UPSIDE Foods is innovating new ways to produce real meat, without the need to breed, feed and slaughter animals. Our process begins with an animal cell, which is cultivated and harvested as meat. The founding company of the industry, UPSIDE Foods is a mission-driven organization focused on bringing to meat lovers an authentic product that is truly humane, sustainably produced, nutritious and delicious! We are now expanding our team of dedicated professionals across disciplines to make better meat for a better world.

About this job

The Research Associate II position will work in R&D’s Discovery teams’ Wisconsin location to advance innovations. The successful candidate will be involved with development of invertebrate primary cell cultures, gene vector assembly, transfections, expression analysis, as well as working on recapitulating muscle tissues using tissue engineering techniques. You will be responsible for establishing and characterizing cell line phenotypes. This position requires you to isolate, culture, and expand multiple cell lines and preparation of culture media. The R&D Research Associate II will be relied upon to develop, implement, and troubleshoot gene delivery platforms for the engineering of invertebrate primary cells and optimize experiments while employing critical thinking and organizational skills. This laboratory-based position requires performing experiments/assays on a daily basis, maintaining detailed/organized notes, and data analysis/interpretation. You should be enthusiastic and able to work independently and in team environments.

Responsibilities include…

• Multispecies cell isolation, culture maintenance, expansion, and transfections.
• Molecular biology techniques: PCR, ddPCR/qPCR, flow cytometry, cell sorting, western blot, NGS, genome engineering tools.
• Cell culture assay: Cell transfections, gene expression analysis,  protein/DNA quantification, cell growth and phenotype characterization.
• Design, set-up, and execution of experiments independently or with guidance from team/project lead.
• Proficient & organized data collection, management, interpretation, and presentation.
• Communicate results clearly and with integrity to cross-functional teams and leadership.

About you…

• BS/BA in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering or closely related science with 2+ years of cell culture and molecular biology experience or a MS degree in a closely related field and some work experience.
• Experience with aseptic cell culture techniques and working with mammalian, avian, or aquatic/invertebrate cell culture systems.
• Knowledge of molecular techniques such as RNA/DNA extraction, PCR/qPCR/ddPCR, genome editing tools.
• Knowledge of cell-based assays (flow cytometry, viability, immunofluorescence, growth assay).
• Detail-oriented and organized laboratory notebook keeping of experimental designs and results.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively on projects.
• Ability to work in a high paced team environment and meet deadlines

Who you’ll work with…

• Primary role is as an individual lab-based contributor in the Discovery team’s Madison, Wisconsin location.
• This role will partner with cross functional teams/Task Forces across R&D including Upstream Development, Cell Culture Media Development, and Data.

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Generate and characterize aquatic primary cells and cell lines.
• Screen genome engineering vectors for desired cellular phenotypes.
• Create cell banks of characterized cell lines for downstream teams.

UPSIDE Benefits!

• Stock options for all full-time incoming team members!
• 90-100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for team members (medical [including HSA and FSA], dental, and vision)
• Pet insurance for your furry family members!
• Unlimited PTO
• DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Council and People Engagement Programs
• Company-sponsored learning & development opportunities