Scientist III – NGS and Cellular Assays, Ingredient Discovery
About The Position
About Debut Debut is the unconventional innovation lab spearheading the next generation of big business. Only Debut has a scalable, integrated, climate-positive creation model powered by biotechnology that puts human wellbeing at the center of everything we do—setting the new standard for profitable business and a new pace for an ever-changing world. Our hybrid biotechnology approaches unlock latent markets, providing access to sustainably produced, natural ingredients with health benefits that cannot be obtained through other methods. We are committed to traversing the entire process, from ingredient discovery to the scaling of these products, for consumer markets. If you are passionate, enjoy fast-paced innovation and collaborative teams, then Debut is for you. Scientist III – NGS and Cellular Assays, Ingredient Discovery Location: San Diego, CA (Onsite full-time required) Summary As a member of the Ingredient Innovation team, you will design, optimize, and execute high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays to support the discovery of novel skincare ingredients. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with the bioinformatics team to design robust, reproducible assays and iterate experimental design based on sequencing outputs. This role will also lead the development and implementation of liquid handling robotics and automation solutions to scale NGS workflows. This is a highly collaborative role that will interact with bioinformatics, assay development, and AI/ML teams to bring novel, scientifically backed ingredients to market.
Requirements
- PhD with 4 years of experience OR MS with 10 years of experience OR BS with 12 years of wet-lab experience in NGS assay development or relevant field
- Demonstrated experience in developing and troubleshooting challenging NGS assays
- Proficiency with liquid handling robotics and automation scripting
Nice To Haves
- Proficiency in mammalian cell culture, drug discovery, and/or cell biology techniques (e.g. flow cytometry, fluorescent imaging, luciferase reporter assay, ELISA) is a plus
- Strong organizational skills with experience managing multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
Responsibilities
- Design, test, and execute high-throughput NGS workflows including human cell culture, RNA extraction, RNA-seq library preparation, quality control, and sequencing on the Illumina platform
- Develop and optimize NGS library prep and cell-based protocols to enhance assay performance
- Collaborate with bioinformatics teams to interpret sequencing outputs, troubleshoot data quality issues, and iterate on experimental design
- Maintain rigorous sample tracking, QC metrics, and documentation to ensure data integrity and reproducibility
- Develop and implement liquid handling robotics and automation platforms for NGS library preparation, sample manipulations, and other high-throughput workflows
- Mentor junior scientists and associates on NGS best practices, cell culture techniques, and robotics operation
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
