Research Associate, Strain Engineering

About Invaio Sciences

Invaio Sciences, founded by Flagship Pioneering, is a bio platform company accelerating the leap to nature-positive agriculture. The company builds on advances in human health and digital innovation to develop biological technologies for crop health, enabling farmers to both improve yields and use more natural crop health solutions.

About the role

The Invaio Research & Development team in Cambridge, MA is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to support the design, construction, and evaluation of engineered microbial strains for recombinant peptide and protein production. This is a hands-on laboratory position focused on molecular cloning, strain engineering, expression screening, and purification of recombinant proteins using microbial hosts.

The successful candidate will work closely with scientists across strain engineering, fermentation, analytics, and bioassay teams to advance peptide and protein production programs. This role is ideal for an early-career scientist with 1-2 years of laboratory experience.

What you''ll do

Strain Engineering & Molecular Biology

• Design and construct recombinant DNA plasmids for peptide and protein expression.
• Perform PCR, Golden Gate assembly, Gibson assembly, restriction cloning, and plasmid verification.
• Generate engineered strains in E. coli and Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris).
• Perform transformation, clone screening, colony PCR, plasmid preparation, and sequence verification.
• Support iterative build-test-learn cycles.

Expression & Screening

• Conduct small-scale expression studies.
• Analyze expression using SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, HPLC, or related methods.
• Screen engineered strains and identify lead candidates.
• Maintain accurate experimental records.

Protein & Peptide Purification

• Purify recombinant proteins and peptides using chromatography.
• Prepare samples for analytical characterization.
• Optimize purification workflows for yield and reproducibility.

Laboratory Operations & Collaboration

• Maintain ELNs and laboratory records.
• Prepare reagents, media, and competent cells.
• Collaborate with fermentation, analytical, and research teams.

Scientific Rigor

• Follow laboratory safety procedures.
• Troubleshoot experiments and improve workflows.
• Support SOP and protocol development.

Qualifications

Required

• M.S. in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 1-2 years of laboratory experience in molecular biology, microbial engineering, or recombinant protein expression.
• Hands-on experience with E. coli cloning.
• Experience with Golden Gate Assembly.
• Experience with Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with recombinant protein expression and purification.
• Familiarity with affinity, ion exchange, SEC, or reverse-phase chromatography.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience with recombinant peptide production.
• Familiarity with synthetic biology workflows.
• Experience with ELNs.
• Basic understanding of microbial fermentation.

Recruitment Agency Policy

Invaio does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms, staffing agencies, or recruiting firms. Resumes submitted to any employee of Invaio without a valid, fully executed search agreement for the specific position will be considered unsolicited.

By submitting an unsolicited resume, the submitting agency acknowledges that Invaio reserves the right to pursue and hire the candidate without any financial obligation, fee, or payment to the agency. Such submissions become the property of Invaio and may be retained and used for current or future employment opportunities.

What''s next

Invaio is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a proactive program of diversity development. Invaio will continue to recruit, hire, train, and promote into all job levels without regard to race, religion, gender, marital status, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or veteran status.

The estimated salary range for this position is $60,000 to $75,000 per year. At Invaio, we are committed to transparency and accuracy in our hiring practices. Our salary offers are aligned with Invaio's compensation philosophy and take into account various factors, including education, training, experience, external market conditions, the criticality of the role, and internal equity. The actual base salary offered may depend on a variety of factors, including the qualifications of the individual applicant, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. The actual base salary offered will be in accordance with state or local wage requirements for the job location.