Research Associate II, Cell Culture Media

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

UPSIDE has grown fast over the last two years, and the momentum continues! The Research Associate II, Cell Culture Media (CCM) team, will support qualification of media components  and run experimental designs to troubleshoot cell culture media formulations. The Research Associate II will also aid in the analysis and interpretation of data and provide input for future experiments. We’re looking for someone who enjoys fast-paced growth, is comfortable with change, and is passionate about changing the future of the food. 

Responsibilities include… 

• Animal cell/tissue culture techniques including thawing, subculturing, freezing, and single-cell cloning.
• Set up and execute experiments independently or with guidance from the team/project lead for complex experiments.
• Perform troubleshooting experiments and assess the scalability of cell culture media components and formulations.
• Works across traditional and high throughput cell culture platforms at multiple scales.
• Proficient in data collection, management, and interpretation. Take an active role in determining the next steps alongside the project team/lead.
• Maintains laboratory notebooks with detailed experimental designs and results.

About you…

• B.S. with 2+ years of research laboratory experience or M.S. in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, or closely related science. 
• Hands-on experience of cell culture processes and cell-based assays and experience with protein analysis methods (i.e, Western blot, ELISA, and immunocytochemistry).
• Working knowledge of the statistical design of experiment techniques (DOE).
• Experience with statistical software like JMP, Minitab, Simca, etc. is desirable
• Enjoys fast-paced and cross-functional environments, and always striving to make processes and experiences better.

Who you’ll work with…

• This role will report to Qualification Scientist in the Cell Culture Media team and partner with CCM and Process Development teams for qualification.
• The role will most frequently interact with our R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality, and Tech Ops teams and is a great opportunity to learn about so many parts of the business and industry.

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Be able to accept direction from the Lead Scientist and execute in the lab independently within 6 weeks.
• Understand both traditional and high throughput workflows in media development within the first 3 months. 
• Present and contribute meaningful data demonstrating steps toward achieving at least 1 goal for our cross-functional team within the first 3 months.

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

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.