Senior Research Associate, Functional Genomics

About Arc Institute

Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology, working to accelerate scientific progress and understand the root causes of complex diseases. Founded in 2021 and based in Palo Alto, Arc partners with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco.

Unlike academia, our scientists have long-term funding and industry-like resources. Unlike industry, they're free to pursue high-risk, long-term research without commercial pressures. Arc's Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs work side by side, integrating experimental and computational biology under one roof to tackle problems neither could solve alone.

Our two Institute Initiatives reflect this model in action:

• Virtual Cell Initiative: Building a full-stack virtual cell model to identify disease mechanisms and nominate drug targets,  accelerating the path from biological insight to clinical trials.
• Alzheimer's Disease Initiative: Mapping the genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates that address root causes.

More than 300 Arconauts work together at our Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long-term philanthropic funding.

About the position

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Research Associate to join the Functional Genomics team inside the Genome Engineering Technology Center at the Arc Institute. This position will directly support our efforts of high-throughput interrogation of mammalian genomes, transcriptomes and epigenomes with rich multi-omic readouts. You will play a critical role in the Virtual Cell Initiative, which aims to create the first foundational model that makes accurate predictions of cellular states and their response to intervention. You will also have the opportunity to partner closely with pioneering labs that have developed the fundamental toolbox for genome engineering and functional genomics screens, such as CRISPR nucleases, CRISPRi, CRISPRoff, CRISPRa, and serine or bridge recombinases.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience and proficient skills in mammalian cell culture, functional genomic screens and NGS library preparation, and familiarity with various other cellular and molecular techniques. They must also demonstrate the ability to independently execute and troubleshoot complex workflows and protocols with an outstanding attention to detail. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated and curious researcher interested in leveraging cutting-edge functional genomic technologies to drive innovative scientific discoveries.

About you

• You are highly motivated and passionate about applying cutting-edge functional genomics techniques to enable scientific discoveries.
• You are diligent, detail oriented, adaptable, and excels at troubleshooting.
• You are committed to generating high quality data and maintaining good documentation practices.
• You enjoy working collaboratively with others and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.
• You respect the process and are comfortable carrying out the routine execution of tasks while identifying opportunities to troubleshoot and address bottlenecks.

In this position you will

• Conduct routine mammalian cell culture, including cell line banking, expansion and manipulation.
• Contribute to the execution of large scale in vitro perturbation screens and downstream sample preparation for NGS.
• Participate in other research efforts related to cellular model, technology and assay development.
• Execute tasks and experiments with a focus on efficiency and reproducibility, following already established SOPs and ensuring accurate and reliable record keeping and documentation in our ELN and LIMS system.
• Analyze and present data at internal meetings and seminars.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with other Tech Center teams at Arc.
• Contribute to lab organization and maintenance, including rotating in regular cleaning schedules and inventory management of supplies and reagents.

Requirements

• BS/MS or equivalent professional experience in cell biology, molecular biology, genetics or another relevant field.
• BS degree, 4+ years of relevant experience or with a MS degree, 2+ years of relevant postgraduate experience. Industry experience is desirable but not required.
• Proficiency in mammalian cell culture procedures and associated aseptic techniques, including direct experiences work with difficult cell types. Experience culturing stem cells is a plus.
• Hands-on experience executing pooled screens is a must.
• Experienced with different NGS workflows. 
• Experience and knowledge of various cellular, molecular and biochemical techniques such as viral production, qPCR, ELISA and western blotting.
• Experience in molecular cloning, preferably for large pooled screens.
• Attention to details with the ability to deliver high quality work in a consistent manner.
• The ability to independently execute experiments involving complex workflows, and troubleshoot technical problems.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Flexibility to work some weekends as needed (days off can be swapped for weekdays).

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a strong plus.
• Multi-color flow cytometry and FACS.
• Prior experience differentiating stem cells.
• Experience with LIMS systems, ideally Benchling.
• Prior experience working with CRISPR-Cas9 or other genome engineering techniques.
• Adept at data analysis in an independent manner.

The base salary range for this position is $87,000 - $114,250. These amounts reflect the range of base salary that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual base compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits. This position is also eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus, with the amount dependent on individual and institute performance factors.