Research Associate/Senior Research Associate

Birch Biosciences is a startup company based in Portland, Oregon that engineers enzymes for plastic recycling. Engineered enzymes act as “molecular scissors” to break down plastic polymers in a high yield, circular process that enables manufacture of high quality, 100% recycled plastic products. Our bio-enzymatic recycling process is low cost, high yield, and reduces CO2 emissions by > 50%. Plastic demand is expected to triple by 2050, so our plastic problem is only going to get worse unless we do something about it!

We’re looking for a research associate to help support Birch scientists as we develop a novel protein engineering strategy to enable iterative development of high performance enzymes.

Specific job responsibilities include:

• Culture and characterize microbes isolated from environmental samples
• Perform standard molecular biology techniques including PCR, DNA cloning using Gibson or Golden Gate or similar techniques, and E. coli transformation
• Perform Sanger and next generation sequencing and analyze sequencing data
• Perform protein engineering and protein expression experiments
• Operate analytical assays to characterize proteins of interest
• Collect experimental data, perform data analyses, and write experimental reports to document findings
• Order lab supplies, make laboratory media and buffers, and maintain laboratory equipment

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biology, or a related field
• 1+ year of laboratory experience
• A good understanding of bioinformatics, with programming (Python) and working knowledge of statistics
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills
• Passion for solving hard technical problems

We’re committed to creating opportunities for applicants from diverse backgrounds that can contribute to our mission. If you don’t have all of the pre-requisite skills, experience or degrees, please send us an application—we’d love to evaluate your skills and see if there is an opportunity for us to work together!