Research Associate I, Cell Characterization

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 I, Cell Characterization is a laboratory-based position centered around developing and executing biomass and cell-based assays both independently and with the guidance of your scientific mentor. You should be a curious, conscientious, and candid team player who is enthusiastic about bridging the gap between cell biology and food science. This work will contribute to the data-driven success of cultivated meat of all kinds at UPSIDE.

Responsibilities include...

• Development, qualification, and execution of cell- and molecular biology-related assays such as immunoassays, colorimetric assays, and image quantification
• Proficient and organized data entry, sample inventory, and experimental documentation in an electronic lab notebook
• Executing cell culture experiments and analysis
• Troubleshooting unexpected results and designing follow-up experiments
• Reporting and communicating results to supervisor
• Occasional media preparation and lab organization duties

About you...

• BS, AS, certificate, or experience in cell biology, bioengineering, or related science
• Basic statistics knowledge
• Experience with basic mammalian cell culture techniques preferred
• Experience with any programming language a plus
• Fosters a collaborative environment by supporting team members
• Ability to produce quality work in a fast-paced team environment, meeting deadlines
• Takes initiative to flag unexpected results and optimize processes

Who you’ll work with…

• This role is within Upstream Development, which develops and characterizes new cell lines, but we work with all parts of the company to understand how our cells will need to perform.
• This role will partner with Food R&D, which characterizes the meat that our cells produce, Assay R&D, which has expertise in analytical chemistry and assay development, and Data Team, which develops our lab data storage system.

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Development, qualification, and validation of immunoassays, biochemical, or imaging assays to identify novel biomarkers of cell performance for cultivated meat
• Routine execution of established assays
• Sample collection, documentation, and data entry of new and historical data to build a company-wide dataset of cultivated meat

UPSIDE Benefits!

• Stock options for all full-time incoming team members
• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for team members (medical, dental, vision)
• Unlimited PTO
• DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Council and People Engagement Programs
• Company-sponsored learning & development opportunities

UPSIDE Foods is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Our company-wide mission is to create a product for everyone, so we are deeply committed to having teams and leaders that reflect this mission.