Scientist 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. 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 experienced hypergrowth over the last two years and we are seeking an innovative individual who enjoys fast-paced growth and is passionate about changing the future of food. The R&D Scientist in cell culture media will be responsible for developing and running experimental designs to develop cell culture media formulations. The media development scientist will perform experiments, analyze and interpret data, communicate results, and make recommendations to drive research forward. The scientist will collaborate very closely with scientists and engineers from various functions such as process development and cell line development, and data experts to formulate and execute a strategy for scalable cell culture media formulation for cultivated meat. In addition, the scientist will mentor and train junior associates within the cell culture media team.

Responsibilities include…

• Develops experiments in traditional and high throughput cell culture platforms at multiple scales (e.g. 96 well, shake flask, spin tubes, benchtop bioreactor).
• Mammalian and avian cell/tissue culture techniques including thawing, subculturing, freezing, and single-cell cloning.
• Cell culture media development (serum-free/chemically defined).
• Designs and executes experiments independently or with guidance from team/project lead for complex experiments.  
• Proficient data collection, interpretation, and analysis to determine the next steps. Plans further experiments based on data and objectives.
• Mentor and supervise others in areas of expertise.

About You…

• Ph.D. in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, or closely related science with 3+ years of research and development experience in the biopharmaceutical or similar industry; or strong BS candidates with 8+ years or MS candidates with 6+ years of relevant experience in the biopharmaceutical, cell therapy, or similar industry are also encouraged to apply.
• Industrial or academic cell culture media and process development experience.
• Working knowledge of statistical design of experiment techniques (DOE)
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and cross-functional environment.
• Comfortable developing a scientific knowledge base by learning new methods from peers, seminars, and scientific literature.
• Maintain scientific scholarship through internal and external networking and frequent literature reviews.
• Working knowledge/understanding of scale-up considerations for cell culture media/process.
• Experience using SIMCA, JMP, or Python for navigating and analyzing large data sets.

Who you’ll work with…

• A talented team dedicated to optimizing media and processes to make a safe, cost-effective, and animal component free cell culture medium
• Media is used at every stage of the cultivated meat process. That means that this role is expected to collaborate with both upstream and downstream R&D teams in addition to manufacturing Ops, commercial  production, and product development. 

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Inception and production of key media prototypes for current and upcoming products
• Optimizing processes and existing media formulations
• Qualification of automation workflows

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.