Research Associate II, Horns Lab

About Arc Institute

The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution conducting curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley.

 

While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include:

 

• Funding: Arc fully funds Core Investigators’ (PIs’) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants.
• Technology: Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators. 
• Support: Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
• Culture: We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration.

 

Arc scaled to nearly 100 people in its first year. With $650M+ in committed funding and a state of the art new lab facility in Palo Alto, Arc will continue to grow quickly to several hundred in the coming years.

 

About the position

We are seeking a Research Associate II to join the Horns laboratory at the Arc Institute. In this position, you will contribute to developing the next generation of platform technologies for monitoring and manipulating mammalian cells, and gain expertise in molecular biology, cell engineering, and genomics. You will have the opportunity to work with world-leading scientists in relevant fields, including single-cell genomics, computational biology, and molecular engineering.

 

This position offers a unique chance for a highly motivated and curious researcher to work on cutting-edge molecular technologies at the intersection of synthetic biology and genomics. Some of the relevant projects extend from our recent work in developing and using cellular RNA exporters to non-destructively monitor cell dynamics and deliver mRNA between cells.

 

This is a great stepping stone for candidates looking to enroll in a PhD program in the future, as you will be involved in designing projects from the ground up and co-authoring papers. The ideal candidate must have a strong background in molecular biology and mammalian cell culture, and will learn to apply their skills to building novel molecular technologies.

 

About you

• You love science and learning. Whether it’s gaining knowledge in new fields of scientific research or learning a new lab technique, you never stop being curious and routinely enjoy stepping out of your comfort zone to learn new things. 
• You can work fast and are detail-oriented. You are careful, meticulous, and diligent about good documentation practices, good lab practices, and keeping things organized while moving at a rapid pace. 
• You love to collaborate and help others. Science is a team effort, and you pride yourself in taking the initiative to participate and to offer help.
• You are a problem solver. Building new technologies comes with issues you need to troubleshoot. You pride yourself in your ability to troubleshoot complex problems.
• You explicitly wish to use this experience to gain entry into a PhD program and are able to provide a minimum 2-year commitment to build a portfolio of work to support you in that endeavor.

 

In this position, you will

• Utilize a wide array of molecular biology techniques, such as restriction cloning, Gibson assembly, DNA/RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, PCR, qPCR, NGS sample preparation, and more.
• Conduct tissue culture and transfection-based experiments, including microscopy and flow cytometry readouts.
• Independently carry out cell culture experiments and molecular biology assays.
• Assist with research planning, execution, analysis, troubleshooting, and data interpretation with a high degree of independence and continued support from the rest of the team. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates before enrolling in a PhD program, as you will be involved in all stages of a project under the guidance of an experienced scientist.
• Analyze and present data at internal subgroup meetings and seminars.
• Maintain an organized and detailed lab notebook.
• Assist with organizing and managing laboratory resources, including ordering supplies, managing inventory, and maintaining equipment.

 

Requirements

• BS/MS or equivalent professional experience in cell & molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, or similar field.
• 2+ years of relevant experience in an academic or industry setting (including independent lab work during your undergraduate studies).
• Extensive hands-on experience with standard molecular biology techniques, such as cloning, PCR, qPCR, sample preparation for Sanger sequencing, or plasmid preparation.
• Proficiency with mammalian cell culture and transfections.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Highly motivated, curious, and a team player.

 

Preferred qualifications

• NGS library preparation
• Mammalian cell engineering (e.g. selection, cell-based assays using flow cytometry, microscopy)
• Animal handling and procedures (e.g. injections)
• Ability to analyze large and complex data sets using Python, R, or similar tools.

 

The base salary for this position is $73,700. This amount does not include benefits or other forms of compensation.