Scientist I, Tissue Development

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

We are seeking an innovative, driven, and collaborative researcher to join our Tissue Development group at the Scientist I level. This individual will be responsible for investigating scalable methods to produce high-quality cultivated meat. The position will involve using techniques in tissue engineering, animal component-free media development, and high-throughput screening. You will be expected to design, troubleshoot, and execute experiments independently, as well as to communicate your results and discuss ideas for the next steps and prioritization with functional and cross-functional teams. This is a laboratory-based position with significant collaboration across various R&D groups. Due to the dynamic and collaborative environment of our organization, this role will require someone who can not only work individually but also as part of a team.

Responsibilities include…

• Independently design, set up, and execute cell culture experiments and analytical assays
• Develop cell culture feeds and processes to produce new and better tissues
• Collect, manage, organize, interpret, and present data
• Collaborate with a variety of stakeholders, including supporting the development of junior team members
• Manage timelines and expectations

About you...

• Ph.D. in cell biology, stem cell biology, biochemistry, bioengineering or closely-related science or BS/MS with 4+ years of experience in biopharmaceutical or similar industry.
• Experience in tissue engineering, skeletal muscle or stem cell biology, or cell therapy is preferred.
• Maintains scientific scholarship through internal and external networking and frequent literature reviews.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and cross-functional environment.

Who you’ll work with…

• This role sits within the Upstream Development functional team but will work closely with the Cell Culture Media and Process Development teams as part of their cross-functional projects.
• Additionally, this role will collaborate with Food R&D teams, including material characterization, sensory, and product development teams, for the purpose of understanding the impact of the levers we pull on the product as food, not just biomass.

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Increase the experimental throughput of the Tissue Development team through thought leadership and significant hands-on contributions.
• Investigate innovative methods for producing cultivated meat to generate the data that will enable organization-level prioritization decisions.

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.