Research Associate II, Cell Culture Media (Innovation)

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. UPSIDE Foods is a mission-driven company 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) will be responsible for running cell culture experiments under the direction of the CCM team to support media and process development for enhancing sensory qualities of cultivated meat, so as to make the meat delicious. You should be capable of designing, troubleshooting, and executing experiments independently while employing critical thinking and organizational skills. This laboratory-based position also requires cell cultivation lab operations, mid-scale cellular bioprocessing, and tissue production. This role will also conduct routine tissue culture, followed by analysis and interpretation of the data, presentation of findings to the R&D Team, and suggestion of follow-up experiments. 

Responsibilities include… 

• Animal cell/tissue culture techniques including thawing, subculturing, freezing, and single-cell cloning.
• Set up and execute experiments -- done 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.
• Proficient in data collection, management, and interpretation. Take an active role in determining the next steps alongside the project team/lead.
• Works across traditional and high throughput cell culture platforms at multiple scales.
• Maintains laboratory notebooks with detailed experimental designs and results.

About you…

• B.S. in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, or closely related science with 3+ years of research laboratory experience.
• Desired: M.S. with 1+ years of post-graduate R&D experience in the biopharmaceutical or similar industry. 
• Working knowledge or hands-on experience of cell culture processes and cell-based assays.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving, and cross-functional environment.
• Comfortable developing scientific knowledge base by learning new methods from peers, seminars and scientific literature.

Desirable skills…

• Working knowledge of the statistical design of experiment techniques (DOE).
• Working knowledge of running bioreactors and mammalian cell culture.
• Experience with protein analysis methods (i.e, Western blot, ELISA, and immunocytochemistry).
• Experience with statistical software like JMP, Minitab, Simca, etc. is desirable

Who you’ll work with…

• This role will report to a Principal Scientist in CCM and partner with Scientists and Research Associates within CCM, PD, Sensory, and Food R&D teams to generate cell culture media formulations for use in commercial meat production. This individual will also work closely with our Cell Line Development and analytical teams. 

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Be able to accept direction from 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.