At Running Tide, we build technologies that allow us to harness the power of the ocean to build a climate positive future. Oceans represent two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and have an understated role to play in the future of our life on Earth. Once abundant marine ecosystems and thriving coastal communities are now suffering due to pollution, ocean acidification and declining water quality. At Running Tide, we have experienced this firsthand, and we know the problem won't solve itself. That’s why we are building technologies to accelerate, scale and optimize the naturally restorative benefits of shellfish and kelp in the ocean.
Our technologies enable us to rebuild food systems that are zero carbon and provide positive ecosystem services. Our shellfish production is mostly automated, entirely data-driven, and takes up a only a fraction of the space as traditional shellfish operations. Shellfish are the optimal protein for a growing population because they are delicious, healthy, and climate positive.
We are also building the most efficient carbon removal system in the world. Kelp is a macroalgae that absorbs CO2 from the water as it grows. Using ocean currents and gravity we sink the kelp and its embodied carbon to the deep ocean where it remains for thousands of years. Our technologies enable us to reduce the cost, predict outcomes, and massively scale carbon removal.
Using our technologies and production capabilities of our shellfish and kelp hatcheries, we also restore Blue Carbon habitats in coastal ecosystems. Our coastal shellfish reefs, kelp forests and seagrass meadows are engines for biodiversity and job creation, however these ecosystems are severely degraded all over the world. These ecosystems drive direct economic value to coastal communities and protect our coasts from storms and erosion. Only active restoration efforts will bring these systems back into balance, giving future generations the opportunity to benefit from the ocean's bounty.
Running Tide is an ocean technology company built to tackle humanity's most urgent challenge: climate change. We build cutting-edge solutions that integrate engineered and biological systems to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, restore ecosystems, and secure food systems. Our multidisciplinary team of world-class scientists, engineers, and maritime operators is working as fast as possible while the world is burning.
Our Agronomy team is developing technology for scalable production, deployment, and offshore growth of modular macroalgal cultivation systems as a central part of Running Tide’s carbon sequestration platform. We’re looking for a Research Scientist/Engineer to help establish, maintain, and further develop novel macroalgal cultivars amenable to these systems. This role will primarily focus on developing carbon-dense, high-productivity stock cultures of macroalgae within the Agronomy program, but will also involve cross collaboration with other teams including Genetics, Field Operations, and Engineering working toward our overall carbon sequestration goals.
Our teams operate with utmost persistence. We are tackling the world’s most difficult and important problems, and we are unwavering in our motivation to find a solution. At our core, we are innovators driven to do "more good" rather than "less bad" in the world.
Running Tide is committed to building a diverse team, bringing as many possible perspectives to bear on the unprecedented challenges facing our planet. We are committed to building an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds can come to do their best work.
You Will:
Conduct original research; design and execute experiments; collect, analyze, and interpret experimental data; properly document results and implement lessons learned to inform future culture development operationsEstablish and maintain stock cultures of various macroalgae species; design and implement processes such as culture acquisition, isolation, decontamination, acclimation, intensive cultivation, and various cell/tissue culture techniquesDevelop new cultivars with desirable traits from established stock cultures using interdisciplinary techniques drawing from fields such as phycology, biochemistry, bioprocess engineering, and geneticsDevelop and implement methods to monitor and assess algal growth and development via processes such as microscopy, bioreactor sampling, chemical analyses, and image analysisCharacterize effects of various chemical, biological, and physical parameters/inputs on algal growth, development, and carbon uptake; apply lessons learned in engineered cultivation systems to achieved targeted outcomes such as new cultivars, increased biomass productivity, and bioproduct formationOptimize propagation techniques, cultivation systems, and process conditions to intensify macroalgal growth and carbon content Develop methods to preserve macroalgal cell lines via cryopreservation and low-maintenance growth methodsWork with other teams/focus areas within the Agronomy program to develop scalable methods of algal seedstock production and inoculation on modular substrates for intensified cultivationCross-collaborate with teams outside of Agronomy such as Genetics, Field Operations, Engineering, Machine Vision, and Quantification Modeling to help integrate collective outputs into our growing carbon sequestration platformHelp set up and maintain our lab facilities; collaborate with and/or manage lab technicians via training, mentoring, and directing workflow Develop, implement, and improve upon protocols for routine culture development operationsYou Are (or You Have):
PhD or MS in biochemical engineering, bioprocess engineering, biological engineering, biochemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, phycology, marine biology, molecular biology, cellular biology, genetics, plant breeding, aquaculture, or related field, and 3+ years of relevant experience in an academic or industrial setting (research toward PhD/MS may be counted toward this amount); or BS in a related field with 6+ years of relevant experience in an academic or industrial settingProficient in as many of the following areas as possible: Aseptic technique, macroalgal cell/tissue culture, micropropagation, clonal propagation, lifecycle manipulation, bioreactor/bioprocess design and intensification, cell culture decontamination, photosynthetic assays, cell viability assays, cell growth modeling, experimental design/execution/statistical analysis, microscopy, image analysis, and germplasm preservationProven ability to draw knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines to solve unique, unprecedented problemsSkilled at independent, creative, critical thinking and problem-solving; effective communication and teamwork skillsStrong ability to multitask and prioritize Quickly adaptive to evolving objectives and workflowProactive in independently identifying and solving various logistical-and research-based problemsAn excellent communicator and planner; extremely well organized and detail orientedComfortable working in diverse lab-type settings such as containerized algal hatcheries or more traditional laboratoriesGenuine desire to harness your interdisciplinary skillset to positively impact global sustainabilityBonus Points:
Experience clonally propagating macroscopic algal tissue cultures, e.g. plantlet culture, vegetative thalli fragmentation, callus induction/plantlet regeneration, somatic embryogenesis, parthenogenesis, etc.Experience clonally propagating microscopic gametophytes of macroscopic algae, e.g. isolation, sexing, decontamination, lifecycle manipulation, gametogenesis, sporophyte recruitment, seeding, etc. Experience with various established and novel macroalgal seeding and cultivation methods, e.g. suspension and immobilized culturesExperience with various cell viability and photosynthetic activity assays, e.g. PAM chlorophyl fluorometry, photosynthetic oxygen evolution assays, viability stains, etc