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Sr. Scientist (cell culture and protein production)

USA - Portland, OR

Scientist / Sr Scientist (cell culture and protein production) in Wilsonville, OR

Job Description

Twist Bioscience is seeking an innovative and highly driven Scientist / Sr. Scientist to join our team in Wilsonville, Oregon. The successful candidate will leverage their expertise in cell culture, molecular biology, and protein biochemistry to design, develop, and optimize recombinant protein expression and purification processes, in high throughput. This role is critical to advancing our growing demand for producing novel proteins, enabling our customers to "write the future of biology."

You will design, execute, and optimize strategies for enhancing our protein titers in mammalian (and, later, bacterial) cell lines, in high throughput, with an initial focus on antibody production. This role provides the opportunity to work cross-functionally with R&D scientists, automation & software engineers, bioinformaticists, and manufacturers in a fast-paced, innovation-driven company. If you thrive in a multidisciplinary team environment where every day is different, excel at executing a variety of processes at the lab bench, and are a creative problem solver with a passion for delivering high-quality results with careful experimental execution, we want you to apply!  

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and optimize methods for protein production in mammalian cells.
  • Optimize cell culture and transient transfection conditions for high titer protein production
  • Design expression constructs for recombinant proteins in various host systems (e.g., E. coli, mammalian cells like HEK & CHO), optimizing for yield, solubility, and activity.
  • Optimize protein purification strategies required for high throughput processing
  • Analyze and interpret complex sequence-function relationships from large datasets, including next-generation sequencing data, to inform design cycles.
  • Support the transfer of protein-based workflows to production, including method optimization, documentation, and training of manufacturing staff.
  • Collaborate in cross-functional project teams representing protein science in core team meetings and contributing to strategic decisions.
  • Document work in electronic lab notebooks and communicate results to stakeholders clearly and regularly.

Qualifications And Required Skills

  • Ph.D. in Cell Biology or a related field with 2–5 years of relevant postdoctoral or industry experience. A master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience will also be considered. Title will vary depending on experience and background.
  • Deep hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture techniques. 
  • Demonstrated expertise in transient and stable transfection methods (e.g., PEI, electroporation, lipid-based reagents).
  • Strong hands-on experience in recombinant protein/enzyme expression in multiple host systems (bacterial, insect, mammalian).
  • Experience with antibody production (IgG, VHH, etc.) is a plus
  • Demonstrated expertise in protein purification techniques.
  • Knowledge of and exposure to practical cell-line development
  • Experience with bioinformatics tools for sequence analysis and protein design.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, scientific judgement, and attention to detail.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work in a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment.
  • Ability to troubleshoot, train, and mentor others in experimental workflows and data interpretation

Preferred Skills

  • Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced and challenging environment.
  • Work cross-functionally within and across the department effectively as a team player.
  • Programming experience (Python, R) for manipulating and analyzing large datasets.
  • Familiarity with various sequencing platforms such as Illumina NGS.
  • Experience with various high-throughput automation platforms.

About Twist Bioscience

Twist Bioscience synthesizes genes from scratch, known as “writing” DNA. Just as children learn to both read and write, the next phase of development for the genomics revolution is the ability to write DNA.

At Twist Bioscience, we work in service of people who are changing the world for the better. In fields such as health care, agriculture, industrial chemicals and data storage, our unique silicon-based DNA Synthesis Platform provides precision at a scale that is otherwise unavailable to our customers.

Twist Bioscience Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Twist Bioscience Corporation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic characteristics, or any other category protected by law.

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