Scientist II/Senior Scientist

Hoofprint Biome•Durham, NC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Hoofprint Biome is a venture-backed start-up that is leveraging biotechnology to avert the climate crisis. We are engineering enzymes and probiotics to eliminate methane emissions from cattle. We believe that cattle are a key pillar of sustainable agriculture and human nutrition, and eliminating their methane emissions will enable transformative progress in the fight against climate change. We’re looking for a scientist who is passionate about animal, human, and planetary health. You must be motivated, comfortable with a fast-paced work environment, team oriented, and committed to building exceptional products. You will play a critical role in developing products for more sustainable animal agriculture and a healthier planet. New and vibrant lab space Based in vibrant downtown Durham, North Carolina, the company is working out of a brand-new lab space at the center of a fast-growing biotech and startup ecosystem. This role offers the chance to pursue ambitious science in a modern lab while enjoying great food, dynamic culture, and comfortable living in the heart of North Carolina. Leadership opportunities We’re looking for people to help shape the future of Hoofprint Biome. Grow with us and help shape the future of sustainable agriculture.

Requirements

PhD in biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical engineering, synthetic biology, molecular biology, microbiology or related field
At least 2 years of industry experience in molecular biology
A love of hands-on science and engineering
Start-up mindset: willing to take ownership, move quickly with imperfect information, and step outside your formal role to solve problems
Experience with engineering biological systems
Familiarity with assay development, protein characterization, and experimental design
Experiences with transformation, culturing, and engineering microbial strains such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Pichia pastoris, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Be a good teammate: kind, collaborative, and easy to work with
A desire to improve, and receptive to thoughtful feedback
Effective communication and organizational skills
Curiosity, intention, tenacity, team mindset, and accountability to the mission
Must love cows

Responsibilities

Design, plan, and execute molecular biology experiments (e.g., cloning, PCR, transformation, protein expression) to support research and development objectives
Develop, troubleshoot, and scale workflows for both microbial strain engineering and/or protein engineering
Design and execute small-scale protein expression, purification, and characterization workflows to evaluate enzyme candidates
Engineer probiotic strains with heterologous pathways
Assess impacts of enzymes and probiotics on relevant microbial communities
Analyze and communicate data in a timely fashion
Execute on scientific objectives on a weekly cadence, troubleshooting problems quickly, with fast iterations
Maintain accurate and detailed experimental records, protocols, and reports (ELN)
Collaborate with bioinformatics, fermentation, and downstream processing teams to advance projects
Be a pathfinder: demonstrate flexibility to take on diverse responsibilities, including exploratory tasks, as necessary