Scientist, Histology

Element Biosciences•San Diego, CA

3d•$116,000 - $152,000•Onsite

About The Position

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness. We are seeking a Scientist, Histology to join our R&D team supporting the development of a next-generation multi-omics product for tissue samples, including formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and fresh frozen (FF)specimens. In this role, you will lead and execute tissue preparation workflows and contribute to the development and optimization of protocols that enable robust downstream molecular and imaging assays. The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in histology and tissue processing along with experience working in cross-functional R&D environments. This role will play a key part in enabling the development of innovative spatial and multi-omic technologies. This role will report to the VP, Biochemistry and will be a role at our San Diego headquarters. If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role.

Requirements

PhD is preference OR MS with 4–6 years of relevant hands-on histology experience, OR BS with 5–7 years of relevant hands-on histology experience, preferably in a biotechnology, research, or clinical laboratory environment
Strong expertise in: FFPE tissue processing and embedding; Fresh frozen tissue handling and cryosectioning; Microtomy and cryostat operation
Experience performing routine histological staining (e.g., H&E) and immunostaining techniques with interpretation
Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, reproducible tissue sections suitable for microscopy and molecular assays
Experience in preparation and quality control and integrity assessment of tissue samples for wide range of downstream workflows and assays
Strong understanding of tissue morphology and common histological artifacts
Experience troubleshooting histology workflows and optimizing protocols
Strong documentation and communication skills
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary R&D environment

Nice To Haves

HT or HTL certification (ASCP)
Experience with multiplex immunofluorescence or spatial biology assays
Familiarity with in situ hybridization techniques (e.g., RNAscope)
Experience with spatial, single cell and bulk RNAseq and protein assays on tissue samples
Experience with automated staining platforms (e.g., Leica, Ventana, Sakura)
Experience working with human clinical tissue samples
Prior experience contributing to biotech product or assay development
Experience supporting spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, or other tissue-based multi-omics workflows

Responsibilities

Lead the preparation and processing of tissue specimens, including FFPE and fresh frozen tissues, for assay development and research applications
Design, develop, and optimize histology workflows to support multi-omics and spatial biology assays specific to Element’s platform
Perform tissue fixation, embedding, microtomy, cryosectioning, and slide preparation to generate high-quality tissue sections
Develop and execute routine and advanced staining protocols, including H&E, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF)
Evaluate tissue morphology and section quality, identify artifacts, and troubleshoot issues related to fixation, processing, and sectioning
Establish quality control assays for tissue sections and blocks
Collaborate with molecular biology, assay development, imaging, and bioinformatics teams to integrate tissue workflows into broader product development efforts
Design and execute experiments to evaluate new reagents, tissue preparation protocols, and assay formats
Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for histology and tissue handling workflows
Operate and maintain histology instrumentation including microtomes, cryostats, automated tissue processors, and staining systems
Analyze and communicate experimental results and present findings to cross-functional teams
Mentor and provide technical guidance to research associates and junior scientists
Support quality control and reproducibility efforts for tissue-based assays in product development