Postdoctoral Researcher in Bioprocessing and Formulation

almost 2 years ago
Full time role
Berkeley, CA, US... more
Berkeley, CA, US... more

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Job Description

About Pivot Bio:  

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of the soil microbiome, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in agriculture. Our commercial products harness the power of naturally-occurring microbes to provide nutrients to crops.  We provide new and sustainable ways for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on Forbes or PBS News Hour.  

Location: Berkeley (>90%), Hayward (<10%) 

Position: Postdoctoral Researcher in Bioprocessing and Formulation 

Salary: First year - $75,000 

Our goal is to make effective microbial nitrogen products in easy-to-use formats with long shelf lives to revolutionize agriculture! Come innovate and explore with our team! 
 
We are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Fermentation Microbiology sub-team within Bioprocessing and Formulation and engage in basic research in support of our mission.  

The Fermentation Microbiology sub-team’s mission is to characterize microbes for healthy biomass generation and understand the microbiology involved in robust cell propagation from cell bank to field. This team develops assays to assess metabolites, identifies and quantifies microbes, correlates short term microbial behavior to long term stability, manages and generates biomass for all research field trials, and develops commercially viable media for pre-commercial strain propagation.  

We are looking for a postdoc with a background in microbiology, biochemistry or computational biology to determine the impact of growth and environmental conditions on our microbes’ responses. With the goal of long-term stability in mind, we want to understand the metabolic states and morphological changes that occur in response to various growth and environmental conditions.  
 
Instead of US predetermining an approach, we want YOU to bring your expertise to the team and apply it! Possible avenues to address these questions could include but are not limited to analyzing morphological changes with microscopy paired with automated image analysis, using flow cytometry to differentiate cellular populations, analyzing metabolites or transcriptomes of cultures exposed to different conditions, or combining complex –omics datasets together and create tools to guide media development. 

Beyond specializing in one area, the candidate should have a working knowledge of microbiology, an eye for detail, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. We expect the candidate to thrive in a fast-paced environment and operate independently with minimal oversight.  

Responsibilities:  

  • Design and execute experiments linking innate characteristics of microbes and their reactions to the stresses of becoming an industrial product 
  • Bring new expertise to Pivot Bio’s Research and Development Initiatives 
  • Collaborate with Bioprocessing and Formulation (B&F) scientists in cross-functional projects which could involve Scientific Computing, Automation, Analytics or other teams! 
  • Share research progress at team meetings and help lead discussions in microbiology 
  • Take a role in shaping the Industry Postdoctoral Researcher Program at Pivot Bio 

Requirements: 

  • A current Ph.D. candidate (or graduated in the past 4 years) in life sciences, computational biology, biological systems engineering, biochemical engineering, or related field
  • Expertise in a subject area or technique that could be applied to the research areas described above 
  • Organizational skills and attention to detail  
  • Strong foundation in experimental design  
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced research environment  
  • Great communication - ability to understand the needs of others and clearly explain ideas

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