Research Associate: Product Innovation

Your work at Wildtype 

• Design and develop next-generation tissue engineering scaffolds with biopolymers and food ingredients for cultivated seafoods product development
• Work with cell integration division to improve tissue engineering scaffolds through screening and characterization of new biopolymers, functionalization, and reformulation
• Scale-up new cultivated seafood products from lab to pilot scale
• Carry out experiments with the guidance of scientific leadership, maintain accurate notes, present data, engagement in product development, and planning
• Analyze experimental samples by relevant biopolymer analytical methods, such as rheology, uniaxial compression, differential scanning calorimetry, light and fluorescence microscopy, etc.

What you bring to Wildtype

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Food Science or related fields
• 1+ year experiences (include internship and/or academic research) in a food lab or with biopolymers research (e.g. proteins, polysaccharides, carbohydrates, etc)
• Alternative meat product (plant based or cultivated) experience is preferred but not required
• Strong attention to detail and excellent organization skills; comfortable taking notes, writing reports, and performing laboratory-related arithmetic
• A hunger for learning, growth, and being part of a fast-moving, interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers

What we’ll teach you

• How to apply your biopolymer knowledge in the context of product development for the next-generation of sustainable cultivated seafood
• Industrial scale-up of biopolymer scaffolds to unprecedented volumes
• New techniques and functional assays such as novel tissue engineering scaffold fabrication, sustainable food development, and biopolymer rheology/DSC
• How to continue growing as a scientist with outside-the-box thinking, creative experimental design, execution, and analysis
• How to work with a fast-moving, interdisciplinary team working at the leading edge of numerous highly technical fields

Impact plan

• Within 1 month you’ll have carried out your first experiment on your own, with the support of your scientific mentor. We’ll rely on you to test different formulations and other experimental reagents without supervision. You will have performed a few advanced analyses (including taste tests) on the samples you have produced. You will have defined your professional development goals for the next twelve months.
• Within 3 months you will have mastered basic product development lab techniques within Wildtype’s unique context. You will be independently carrying out routine activities such as sourcing, tissue assembling, formulations, and biopolymer functionalization without supervision. You will have contributed to the design of several experiments.
• Within 6 months your product development  skills will have developed to the point where you can independently train a new hire on Wildtype’s entire product production process. Your work will be organized effectively to achieve tasks on time at a high level of quality. You will have executed your first independently designed experiment with controls, and presented your findings at a company-wide research meeting. 
• Within 12 months you’ll be managing and carrying out multiple experiments simultaneously. You will be able to articulate how your work directly impacts the company’s milestones. You will routinely take the initiative to research topics independently and volunteer new ideas and approaches.