Research Scientist-Molecular Biologist

Location: Upper Valley Trailer Court

Worker Type Regular Job  Description

Position Overview In support of the Biomaterials Branch within the Foundational Technologies Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, our multidisciplinary research team is seeking a versatile Research Scientist to support cutting-edge initiatives in biomaterials, protein engineering, biomanufacturing, and small molecule production.

This role bridges standard microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The successful candidate will independently perform BSL-2 laboratory research focused on microbial physiology, molecular cloning, pathway/protein engineering, and recombinant protein expression and purification. As research projects evolve, you will have opportunities to expand your skillset into novel biomaterials development, high-throughput screening, and advanced molecular characterization.

Key Responsibilities Molecular Biology & Protein Engineering Design and execute molecular biology protocols including plasmid construction, cloning (Gibson, Golden Gate, Gateway, etc) recombinant expression, CRISPR/gene editing, nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) extraction, and target manipulation.

Engineer proteins to optimize existing functions, alter performance parameters, or enable novel metabolic/biochemical functions for biomanufacturing and biomaterials applications.

Perform upstream recombinant protein expression and downstream protein purification.

Microbiological & Biochemical Characterization Culture, isolate, and quantitatively monitor the growth of diverse bacterial and fungal strains in solid and liquid media using rigorous aseptic techniques in BSL-2 environments.

Investigate genetic, biochemical, and physiological characteristics of standard and non-model microorganisms.

Perform quantitative assays including PCR, qPCR, RT-PCR, ddPCR, fluorescence assays, and light or confocal microscopy.

Support method development, media preparation, and routine laboratory maintenance.

Operations, Data Analysis & Team Collaboration Maintain meticulous research records and follow standard/electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) documentation practices.

Analyze complex biological data and troubleshoot experimental workflows, protocols, and equipment.

Collaborate effectively across an interdisciplinary team of biologists, chemists, and computational scientists.

Prepare data visualizations, figures, and technical reports for publications, client presentations, and conference dissemination.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Ph.D degree or M.S with 2+ years of experience in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a closely related field.

Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship is required due to government facility access requirements.

Technical

Experience:

Proven experience in aseptic culture techniques and maintaining bacterial and/or fungal isolates in a BSL-2 setting.

Demonstrated proficiency in core molecular biology techniques (plasmid construction/cloning, nucleic acid isolation, PCR/qPCR).Proved proficiency in protein expression and purification.

Strong quantitative analysis and experimental troubleshooting capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications Candidates may not possess all of these qualifications; it is expected that they will have experience in some, but not necessarily all, of the listed areas.

Biomaterials & Manufacturing:
Experience in biomanufacturing pipelines, small molecule expression, or biomaterials synthesis.

Specialized Organisms:
Experience working with fungal biology, non-model organisms, or environmental microbial isolates.

Advanced microscopy/imaging skills (e.g., Confocal, EM).Familiarity with laboratory automation systems or high-throughput assay development.

Mentorship:
Demonstrated ability to mentor junior laboratory members and manage…