About us

Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods grows meat, poultry, and seafood directly from animal cells. These products are not vegan or vegetarian—they are delicious meat, made without the need to raise and slaughter billions of animals. In a historic first, UPSIDE Foods received regulatory approval to sell its product in the US in June 2023.

Founded as the world’s first cultivated meat company in 2015, UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) has achieved numerous industry-defining milestones, including being the first company to produce multiple species of meat (beef, chicken, and duck). The company believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between the foods they love and a thriving planet, and is working to build a better food system with access to delicious, humane, and sustainable meat, poultry, and seafood. UPSIDE Foods has won various industry awards, including New York Times’ Good Tech Awards, FastCo’s Next Big Thing in Tech, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by the National Association for Business Resources. UPSIDE Foods has raised a total of $608 million, including from the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Baillie Gifford, Bill Gates, Cargill, John Doerr, John Mackey, Kimbal and Christiana Musk, Norwest, Richard Branson, Softbank, Temasek, Threshold, Tyson Foods, and others.

About this job

The Research Associate II, Discovery position will work in the R&D Discovery team’s Berkeley California location to advance cell line innovations. This is a laboratory-based position that will involve cross functional collaborations across the R&D organization and that leverages critical thinking, troubleshooting, and organizational skills. Day to day responsibilities include assisting with experimental designs, application of genome engineering techniques to screen for desired phenotypes, cell line development, and evaluation of cell characteristics. We are looking for an independent and productive individual that can partner with leadership to rationally design and implement experiments. This is a great opportunity for people that want to use their genome engineering knowledge and experience to support the research and development efforts of an industry-leading company in an emerging scientific field.

Responsibilities include

• Implement genome engineering techniques for phenotype screens and cell line generation.
• Independently characterize cells by PCR, ddPCR/qPCR, flow cytometry, ELISA, DNA/protein quantification, cell growth/viability, metabolism and/or other phenotype assays.
• Expand multispecies cell cultures for experiments and perform transfections.
• Design, set-up, and implement experiments with guidance from team/project lead.
• Collect, manage, interpret, and present data to ensure data-driven decisions.
• Communicate results clearly and with integrity to cross-functional teams and leadership.

About you

• BS/BA in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering or closely related science with 2+ years of cell culture and molecular biology experience or a MS degree in a closely related field and some work experience.
• Experience with aseptic cell culture techniques and working with mammalian or avian cell culture systems.
• Knowledge of genome engineering techniques.
• Knowledge of molecular techniques such as PCR/qPCR/ddPCR.
• Knowledge of cell-based assays including flow cytometry, cell viability, immunofluorescence, growth assay.
• Detail-oriented and organized laboratory notebook keeping of experimental designs and results.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively on projects.
• Ability to work in a high paced team environment and meet deadlines.

Who you’ll work with

• Primary role is as an individual lab-based contributor in the Discovery team’s Berkeley, California location.
• This role will partner with cross functional teams/Task Forces across R&D including Upstream Development, Cell Culture Media, Data, and Supply Chain.

Key Contributions in First Year

• Derive multiple cell lines with desired cell phenotypes and genotypes.
• Develop cells, genome engineering vectors, GE tools, and/or methodologies for downstream teams.
• Implement a high throughput screen for desired phenotypes.

Compensation Range: $48,000 - $80,000*
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.

UPSIDE Benefits!

• Stock options for all full-time incoming team members!
• 90-100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for team members (medical [including HSA and FSA], dental, and vision)
• Pet insurance for your furry family members!
• Unlimited PTO
• DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Council and People Engagement Programs
• Company-sponsored learning & development opportunities

UPSIDE Foods is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Our company-wide mission is to create a product for everyone, so we are deeply committed to having teams and leaders that reflect this mission.