Scientist/Senior Scientist - Microbiology

Description

Job Description:
This is where your legacy begins! The Leidos Innovations Center currently has an opening for a Scientist/Senior Scientist - Microbiology to work in our San Diego, California office. This is a highly dynamic and integrative environment in which talented and creative scientists can thrive working on a diverse array of multidisciplinary projects. We are seeking a highly motivated microbiologist for advanced technology programs focused on developing and optimizing synthetic biology tools for strain engineering of non-model organisms.

Primary Responsibilities

• Contribute to the conceptualization and development of novel applications in support of government-funded efforts in the areas of microbial engineering, protein expression, synthetic and systems biology.
• Design the metabolic and genetic biosynthetic pathways in target host organisms to optimize production of chemicals, enzymes, and other proteins
• Develop suitable cultivation conditions and assays for screening the performance of engineered microbes
• Design and clone DNA constructs using modern molecular biology techniques, such as Golden Gate Assembly, Gibson Assembly, etc.
• Effectively communicate research in team meetings, progress reports, peer-reviewed publications, and patents.
• Quickly adapt to evolving research needs, rapidly acquire new scientific knowledge and stay informed on new technologies.
• Work effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary team consisting of biologists, chemists, mathematicians, statisticians, and engineers. Lead candidates should follow sound scientific practices and maintain effective documentation of activities and analyses.

Basic Qualifications

• Qualified candidates should have a Master's degree and 6+ years of experience (additional experience will be considered).The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, or related discipline with technical experience (experience obtained during graduate or postdoctoral work can be counted towards total years of experience).
• U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance
• Experience with strain engineering of non-model organisms
• Experience with modern molecular biology techniques including PCR, DNA assembly and cloning (Golden Gate Assembly, Gibson Assembly, etc), plasmid isolation, and DNA sequencing, as well as with associated software for construct design and sequencing analysis (Snapgene, etc.)
• Bacterial transformation and conjugation techniques
• Experience with microbiological cultivation (including media preparation) and aseptic technique
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines and excellent multitasking skills
• Team oriented with excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to interact with people from diverse areas and disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, or related discipline with technical experience (experience obtained during graduate or postdoctoral work can be counted towards total years of experience)
• Candidates with these desired skills will be given preferential consideration
• Microbiome engineering
• Metagenomics and/or Metatranscriptomics data generation
• Experience with Next-generation sequencing processing and analysis
• Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for gene expression analysis
• Genome editing using modern tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9
• Protein engineering
• Experience developing and optimizing synthetic biology tools in the areas of biosensors and cell-free systems
• Already possessing an active US Government Security Clearance

Pay Range: