Senior Research Associate, Gene Regulation

The Position

Earli is currently seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Senior Research Associate to join the Synthetic Gene Regulation team. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting plasmid cloning, production, and validation efforts to advance our research projects.

Your Primary Responsibilities

• Perform plasmid DNA preparation from bacterial cultures at various scales (i.e. mini-, midi-, and maxi-preps) using commercial purification kits.
• Optimize and troubleshoot protocols for plasmid production and cloning to improve efficiency, yield, and purity.
• Optimize and standardize methods for plasmid DNA quality control such as Nanodrop, agarose gel electrophoresis, endotoxin assays, DNA supercoiling assays, etc.
• Interface with cross-functional teams to manage requests for plasmid DNA production to support ongoing in vitro and in vivo research projects, and develop processes for routine, on-time delivery of requested DNA material.
• Assist with cell and tissue-based validations of plasmid function.
• Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date inventory of plasmids and supplies.
• Maintain accurate records of experimental procedures, data, and results in electronic lab notebooks and databases.
• Work with lab manager and other staff to evaluate new equipment, kits, or processes that can improve throughput and/or reduce cost of lab reagents and assays.
• Assist in the development and validation of new molecular biology assays and techniques as needed.

Your Required Experience, Knowledge and Skill

• BS or MS degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related life sciences field with hands-on molecular biology wet lab experience.
• Experience with bacterial culture techniques and transformation methods.
• Experience with basic molecular biology techniques (cloning, plasmid DNA mini- and midi-preps, agarose gel electrophoresis, etc.) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture, cell-based assays (luminescence, fluorescence, etc.) and quantitative RT-PCR is a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot experimental issues.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.
• A ‘self-starter’ mentality with strong motivation and a keen drive to excel individually and in a team.
• Excellent verbal communication, organization, time management, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think independently, multi-task effectively, and fully integrate into a high achieving team environment.

The base salary for this position is $80-$95k per year.