Research Associate

Company:  Huminly
Location: San Carlos
Closing Date: 04/11/2024
Hours: Full Time
Type: Permanent
Job Requirements / Description

Company mission and culture


The world of fashion is facing a major reckoning. Over 100 million tons of textiles go to waste each year, of which less than 1% goes back into new clothing. Existing recycling methods are unable to handle the heterogeneity of textile waste - until now.


Huminly uses enzymes to enable infinite recycling of textiles. We’re hellbent on improving textile-to-textile recycling from less than 1% to over 90% in the next 4-5 years before taking on global plastic pollution more broadly over the next decade. We couple unprecedented efficiency in enzyme engineering with state-of-the-art computational modeling to develop high-performing enzymes for recycling. Using just water, salt, and enzyme, we distill the different materials in textile waste and harness them to make brand-new clothes, over and over again.


We have a revolutionary technology and a culture of relentlessness here at Huminly. We are building Huminly because we can’t fathom how society’s single-use economy makes sense for future generations and can’t bear to witness Mother Earth get covered in textile and plastic waste. We’re recruiting passionate warriors who are ready to stand up for this planet.


Your role at our company

As Huminly’s very first research associate, you will manage and execute a diverse range of workflows we use on a daily basis to accelerate our plastic-degrading enzymes. You will serve an instrumental role by building the core technology that powers Huminly: our high-throughput screening platform.


From building new and improved DNA constructs, to beating our company all-time records of enzyme variants screened per week, you will work closely with us to implement and expand our workflows for identifying enzyme variants with improved activity towards polyester-cotton fabric. As you grow in this role, you will help implement strain engineering workflows to improve our production yield and take on fermentation responsibilities to produce enzyme at 10+ liter scale for testing in our recycling process.


As one of our first employees, you will work alongside a highly motivated team in a fast-paced, mission-driven work environment. Every improved enzyme you help discover will accelerate our recycling reactors and propel us on our journey to scale and impact.


This role will be a great fit for you if you:


  • Have run-through-walls energy and don’t let obstacles stand in your way
  • Relentlessly and rapidly execute molecular cloning workflows with high rates of success
  • Are a pro at accurately running high-throughput fermentation and screening assays
  • Efficiently and simultaneously coordinate multiple lab workflows like an orchestral conductor
  • Are impatient to create tangible real-world impact towards sustainability
  • Majored in Bioengineering, Biochemistry, or related field
  • Have at least 2 years of industry experience under your belt


We offer competitive salary and equity compensation commensurate to experience, along with medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.


Please note this role will require frequent standing and walking for extensive periods of time as well as repetitive motion.

Apply Now
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