Research Associate Industrial Fermentation

We have developed processes to grow mycelium in solid-state fermentation reactors for a multitude of applications. Our technology drives commercial-scale operations to harvest delicious bacon without the pig; biofabricate leather-like textiles without the cow; grow soft flexible foams from crop waste; produce home compostable packaging to replace plastics; and more applications are on the way. We are helping numerous companies develop new biomaterials that are positive for the planet.

Our Pilot Research group is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and collaborative Research Associate to join the dynamic team advancing biofabrication of mycelium biopolymers. The Research Associate, Industrial Fermentation role will focus on executing experimentation and maintaining proper documentation while also building a fundamental working knowledge of scientific methods. Primary work will focus on material preparation, experiment setup, observation, and data collection. This position is responsible for assisting in all aspects of experimentation, which may extend to data analysis and interpretation. This Research Associate will also support overall research operations with routine tasks and maintenance.

Essential Functions:

• Support research efforts toward producing fungal-based biopolymer at scale
• Contribute to general lab space organization and cleaning
• Perform physical mixing of growth media components
• Identify contamination
• Perform data collection and document all research observations
• Use industrial and lab equipment
• Follow standard operations procedures (SOPs) and safety guidelines
• Comply with company lab policies and procedures

Required Skills:

• Familiarity of aseptic technique including the use of laminar flow hoods and biosafety cabinets
• Knowledge of proper pipetting techniques
• Familiarity with the scientific method
• Comfortable working within laboratory and manufacturing settings
• Ability to perform math pertinent to protocol execution
• Exceptional organizational skills with strong attention to detail
• Ability to communication cross functionality with teammates
• Critical thinking skills
• Ability to document data with integrity
• Technical writing experience
• Basic ability to use word processing and data management software

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, biological or chemical engineering, or related field with relevant exposure to laboratory work outside of required coursework desired
• Associate's with two (2) years of relevant work experience

Desired Skills:

• Passion for bioprocess optimization and familiarity with microbiology
• Comfortable learning quickly when faced with unfamiliar tasks and new tools
• Exposure to bioreactor operation or fermentation systems
• Familiarity with statistical methods, design of experiment, and data analysis/ visualization programs (g., JMP)

Ecovative’s research group leverages a multidisciplinary approach and 15 years of innovation and leadership in the mycelium material space. Ecovative’s commercial success has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Wired, and Forbes and our research collaborations with MIT, Columbia, and other institutions have led to numerous peer-reviewed publications such as these recent examples in Nature Materials and Metabolic Engineering.

The company’s R&D headquarters in New York’s Capital Region is a world-class applied fungal research facility with core competencies in molecular genetics, structural biology, and industrial fermentation — ranging from bench-scale bioreactors to large-scale cultivation chambers. In addition to state-of-the-art laboratories, the facility features an array of controlled growth chambers for serial scale-up of experiments from lab- to pilot- and industrial-scale.