Research Associate II, Protein Science

A-Alpha Bio is an early-stage and rapidly growing drug discovery company headquartered in Seattle, WA. We are enabling the next generation of high-impact therapeutics by combining high-throughput synthetic biology to measure protein-protein interactions at scale with state-of-the-art machine learning to predict how proteins bind. We partner with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to enable the discovery of antibodies, molecular glues, and other protein interaction-related drugs. In parallel, we use our wet-lab and computational platforms to discover and develop an internal pipeline of biologics and molecular glues to improve human health.

This role is not open to remote applicants and would require relocation to Seattle, WA.

Starting Salary Range: $73,000 - $87,000 per year

Exemption Status: Exempt

Location Expectations: Onsite

Reporting To: Senior Scientist, Protein Science

Role Description

At A-Alpha Bio, we’re on a mission to improve human health by unlocking the potential of protein-protein interactions – and we’re now seeking a Research Associate II to join our Protein Science team in expanding our mammalian protein production capabilities. 

• As a molecular biologist, you’ll assist in the design and construction of antibody-like molecules intended for therapeutic evaluation.
• As a cell scientist, you’ll exhibit strong sterile technique when performing mammalian cell transfections to express the molecules you built.
• As a protein scientist, you’ll assist in the purification and characterization of the resulting proteins you helped design. 

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct molecular biology procedures and generate protein expression constructs.
• Oversee the maintenance of cell cultures for protein production.
• Carry out transient transfection experiments using Expi293 or ExpiCHO cells.
• Process transfectant supernatants in preparation for the protein purification phase.
• Document all protein expression activities in an electronic lab notebook and update the internal protein database accordingly.
• Engage in learning opportunities related to downstream protein characterization and functional assays.
• Present findings and experimental results at interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 2+ years of relevant experience in an industrial biotechnology environment; or an equivalent amount of education and experience.
• Proficiency in Gibson Assembly and other relevant molecular biology methods.
• Experience with oligonucleotide and gene fragment design and ordering.
• Experience with construct sequence verification.
• Exposure to and appreciation of the bench execution of protein production in a startup setting.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to interact with groups in dynamic startup team settings.
• Self-motivation, intellectual curiosity, and excitement to carry out interdisciplinary research in a fast-paced environment. 

Preferred

• Experience with transient protein expression at a small/medium scale.
• Experience with ExpiCHO and Expi293 cell culture.
• Proficiency in biolayer interferometry assays utilizing Octet/Gator systems
• Proficiency in protein biophysical characterization methods (HPLC, DSF, Bioanalyzer/SDS-PAGE, ELISA, UV280 NanoDrop, etc).
• Experience in antibody formatting and protein expression optimization. 

We offer competitive compensation, including benefits, flexible time off, and equity in a fast-growing start-up. Applicants must have legal authorization to work in the United States. At this time, A-Alpha Bio is unable to offer visa sponsorship in any form.

About A-Alpha Bio 

A-Alpha Bio is a biotechnology company that leverages synthetic biology and machine learning to measure, predict, and engineer protein-protein interactions. Our AlphaSeq platform applies synthetic biology to experimentally measure millions of protein interaction affinities simultaneously. Protein binding data is incorporated into our AlphaBind platform to train machine learning models that predict binding from sequence. We use both platforms to discover and optimize high-impact therapeutics for our pipeline and in partnership with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

In 2018, A-Alpha Bio spun out of the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design and Center for Synthetic Biology – both communities filled with brilliant and highly entrepreneurial scientists. Since the company’s inception, we have focused on an oncology-centered internal pipeline along with pharma and biotech partnerships to collaboratively train predictive machine learning models and discover and optimize drugs for therapeutic areas ranging from infectious disease to neurodegeneration. New members of the team should expect a fast-paced, highly dynamic, and interdisciplinary work environment. We are building a diverse, meritocratic, and supportive team that shares our values of speaking the truth, shooting for the moon, taking the reins, playing for the team, and improving the world.

A-Alpha Bio is headquartered in a custom designed lab and office space in downtown Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. While the startup lifestyle occasionally requires grueling hours, we strongly value the need for a work-life balance. We are fortunate to be situated in a region that is renowned for its premier outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, kayaking, sailing, and more. At A-Alpha, you’ll find many who love the outdoors, but also gamers, amateur chefs, explorers, sports fans, bakers, crafters, photographers, brewers, jetsetters, animal lovers, and artists. Whatever your passions, you belong at A-Alpha Bio!