Solugen

Houston, TX 77035

Position

Bioprocess Lab Technician

About Solugen

At Solugen, we believe planet-scale change starts with the chemistry we use every day. So we've built the world's first carbon negative molecule factory. Fusing biology with chemistry and technology to make the materials we need to sustain life on Earth. Solugen, Inc. is a revolutionary product and technology company using biology to transform the chemicals industry. Solugen was founded in 2016 and is a post-Series C venture-backed biotechnology company supported by renowned venture capital firms including Founders Fund, FiftyYears, Refactor, Y Combinator, Temasek, GIC, and Baillie-Gifford. Located in Houston, Texas, Solugen has recently started-up a first-of-its-kind carbon-negative manufacturing facility -The Bioforge TM - that uses a novel chemoenzymatic technology to manufacture bio-based chemistries for a wide range of applications including water treatment, agriculture, personal care, and other applications. Solugen currently has 175+ full time employees.

Mission

Solugen's mission is to decarbonize chemical manufacturing. As a first step, Solugen is building a 10,000 tpy first commercial plant with the potential to offset up to 37,000 tpy of carbon dioxide equivalents. This role directly supports Solugen's mission by ensuring R&D assets are being fully utilized. This role will ensure maximum utilization of the R&D assets by supporting fermentation experiments on multi-reactor benchtop reactors. Reporting directly to the Scientist leading multi-reactor benchtop fermentations the Bioprocess Lab Technician will focus on preparation, execution, and cleanup of fermentation experiments. This includes preparation of fermentation media and buffers, assembly of fermenters, sterilization of equipment, take down of equipment, analysis of fermentation broth, and cleanup of equipment and lab space. This role will also help with experiment execution, including overnight fermentation monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the turn-around schedule for fermentations will stay on track by taking responsibility for key tasks:
  • Prepare media and buffers from recipes
  • Assemble, sterilize, break down, and clean benchtop fermenters
  • Keep the workspace clean and orderly according to 5S operation (Sort/Set in Order/Shine/Standardize/Sustain
    
• Free up scientists time by assisting with sampling and analysis:
  • Learn how to operate process software
  • Learn how to operate lab robots to run standardized assays

Key Competencies

Job Specific

• Comfortable with hands-on work, including blending recipes, assembling small-scale process equipment (250 mL reactor scale), and cleaning up laboratory spaces (dishwasher work, neutralizing acids/bases, etc.)
• Experience in pipetting, making gravimetric and volumetric measurements, using pH meters
• Interested in learning about industrial fermentations and bioprocessing is required
• Experience with fermentation is greatly preferred, ideally with multi reactor systems
• Industrial cooking or homebrewing experience is helpful but not required
• Able to use Microsoft Excel to perform basic calculations, such as determining concentrations (g/L, wt%, molar)
• Comfortable working in an industrial environment
• Able to lift and move up to 50 pounds
• Able to sporadically work shifts during nights and weekends as required

Company Specific

• Ask a lot of questions, be curious, and have insights into your work
• Be nimble, embrace the speed and ambiguity of startup culture
• A passion for green chemistry and fighting climate change
• Ability to self-manage and set your own priorities and schedule
• Be comfortable working in multiple roles
• Emphasize safety above all else
• Respect for others
• Creative problem solving
• Willingness to learn and research new engineering/science concepts

Qualifications

• AS in Biology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Engineering, Process Technology, Food Science, or similar degree preferred
• Biopharma/cGMP experience
  
• Experience in an industrial or laboratory setting preferred but not required
• Experience with industrial cooking and/or home brewing is relevant but not required