Research Associate

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA   |   FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT
 

The Opportunity

At ZBiotics, we make genetically engineered probiotics that improve people’s daily lives. As a group of motivated yet down-to-earth researchers, we are fueled by two things: a love for science and a commitment to being people-first. GMO products like ours, built to create benefits for people in their daily lives, are the future. As the first to market, we believe it's our duty to set a high bar for product quality, safety, and transparency for engineered consumer products.

In 2019, ZBiotics launched Pre-Alcohol, the world’s first genetically engineered probiotic designed to break down the alcohol byproduct that leads to rough mornings after drinking. In 2024, we launched a genetically engineered probiotic drink mix, Sugar-to-Fiber, that creates fiber from the food you eat. This revolutionary product helps to improve the diversity of gut bacteria and overall gut health.

With a full line of genetically engineered probiotics in development, our team is growing. We’re looking for people as excited as we are to build this new category of consumer products.

ZBiotics is headquartered in San Francisco, and our research lab is located in Brisbane, CA. 

Your Impact

As a Research Associate at ZBiotics, you will help create and characterize new bacterial strains with novel useful functions that will go into products destined for the consumer market. Working with our lead scientists, you will be responsible for the tactical execution of building vectors, transforming strains, and assessing and characterizing those strains. You will help inform improvement of our methods and our pipeline, allowing us to bring new products to market faster, while contributing to the day-to-day functions of our R&D team. Your work will not only impact the strength and quality of new ZBiotics products coming to market, but also redefine how we – and, by extension, the entire industry – think about designing GMOs for consumers.

Responsibilities

• Execute strain engineering projects, including primer design, DNA build, and strain construction
• Run functional assays to characterize strain activity
• Isolate and prepare DNA for sequencing and other analyses
• Isolate and prepare protein for western blot and other analyses
• Engage in optimization projects to improve our build pipeline, such as edit resolution optimization or secretion improvement
• Maintain cell stocks as needed for production purposes
• Make media, pour plates, autoclave materials and reagents, wash glassware, and other routine tasks necessary to support your experiments and research
• Help routinely restock and organize lab materials 
• Contribute to ideation of and research on future molecular targets

Must-have Experience

If your experience doesn’t align perfectly but you are a dedicated, quick learner, please apply!

• B.S. or equivalent training/experience in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry or closely related field.
• 2+ years of hands on bench research and experimental experience
• Mastery of sterile technique and standard bacterial culture methods
• Proficient in experimental design, and especially building in appropriate controls to ensure interpretable results
• Proficiency working from written protocols while documenting deviations
• Demonstrated excellence in communication, organizational, and documentation skills
• Can work well both independently and in a small team
• Excitement and enthusiasm for developing genetically engineered probiotics that will be brought to market and enjoyed by consumers

Nice-to-have Experience

• Experience working with Bacillus or other related Gram positive bacteria
• Command of basic DNA build methods, including experience cloning both amplified and synthesized DNA into vectors independently and designing primers for various cloning methods
• Proficiency in making genomic edits in bacterial strains
• Familiarity with basic protein visualization methods, including SDS-PAGE and Western blotting
• Experience with running or developing assays to test strain activity 

About Our Team

ZBiotics prioritizes building a healthy and inclusive culture where people thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do their best work every day. We embody the ZBiotics values of Humanity, Integrity, Citizenship, and Science.

• Humanity - We always put people first.  That includes our teammates internally, and our customers externally.
• Integrity - We communicate transparently and honestly (e.g. “proudly GMO” on every ZBiotics product), and we deliver high quality.
• Citizenship - We are inclusive and committed to doing what’s right.
• Science - We question our own assumptions, innovate, and adapt to new data.

Benefits

We believe in a life well-lived. ZBiotics offers competitive benefits for a life outside of work, including: health / dental, 401(k) contributions, a minimum PTO policy (with unlimited time off), parental leave, a home office stipend, transit benefits, dedicated lab space in Brisbane CA, and access to office space in San Francisco, CA.

This position is required to work full-time in person from our Brisbane Lab. Research Associates may also be required to travel to attend ZBioneers or external events.

The base salary for this position is $80,000 per year, and will include additional equity. A presented offer may be higher, depending on qualifications and experience.

We encourage you to apply …

At ZBiotics, we value our differences, and we encourage all – especially those whose identities are underrepresented in tech organizations and STEM – to apply.