Research Mycologist

Job Summary

MycoWorks is seeking a Research Mycologist to work within the Process Development Mycology group onsite at MWSC to act as a biological expert in the growth and research of the fungal biomaterial. The Research Mycologist will work to optimize the growth and scalability of the Reishi product and will help run experiments to test new growth control and research techniques. This role will be responsible for researching a variety of topics including fungal growth, characteristics, and metabolism focusing on white rot fungi. The ideal candidate will have microbiology and mycology experience and the ability to lead a lab studying fungal growth parameters. The ability to observe, document, and communicate as well as the ability to synthesize actions from results is highly desired. Familiarity with mycology and fungal fermentation or a related field is also desirable. The candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from people with a variety of expertise within the team and also cross-functionally.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct fungal research with a focus on understanding and enhancing fungal growth and development.
• Utilize microbiological techniques, including: aseptic technique, DNA extraction and analysis, preparation of growth media, maintenance of cell cultures, and growth of fungi and stock generation and maintenance.
• Design experiments and perform data analysis to support research objectives.
• Conduct carefully controlled experiments to evaluate macroscopic and microscopic fungal physiology, phenotypes, fungal biomass, and mycelial growth kinetics. 
• Work in small-scale and medium-scale platforms to evaluate strain and substrate performance in growth of our fungal biomaterials.
• Collaborate with Process Development, Quality, Engineering, Product, and Operations to establish and monitor target growth environments and provide routine updates to the team.
• Author and maintain meticulous records of experimental protocols and methods.
• Track, organize and analyze experimental data.
• Communicate results and share knowledge with the research team through scientific presentations.
• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of the research laboratory.
• Assist in transferring technology from lab to production scale.
• Maintain safe practices and a secure working environment.
• Demonstrate proficiency with Google Workspace products and Microsoft Excel.
• Familiarity with R programming is a plus.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, biology or related field, or comparable combination of experience and training.
• Experience in microbiology, biotechnology, and industrial fungal material growth is a plus.
• Knowledge of aseptic techniques; experience working in a laminar flow hood and/or Biosafety Cabinet required.
• Ability to perform complex procedures reproducibly.
• Ability to work independently after training in research procedures.
• Ability to organize and perform parallel experiments.
• Ability to analyze experiments and think critically about results.
• Ability to work collaboratively and manage a research team.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques is a plus.

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