Basecamp Research

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About us

We are unlocking the potential of our planet’s unexplored biodiversity to build sustainable solutions with our biotechnology partners while demonstrating the value of our world’s undiscovered biology. At Basecamp Research, we pride ourselves on being a diverse, exciting, fun, and flexible place to work. We are a team of biologists, data scientists, and explorers united by a sense of adventure and the belief that nature has already designed the solutions to our planet’s greatest challenges – we just have to go out and discover them! If you feel passionate about the power of biology to show the inherent value of nature and to build a better world, we’d love to hear from you.

About the job

We are seeking an energetic and highly motivated Scientist I/II with broad experience in gene editing, protein engineering, and cell biology. The candidate will make use of the largest and most comprehensive biodiversity knowledge proprietary to the company to tackle some of the most exciting and unique challenges in gene editing, including the targeted integration of large cargo in dividing and non‑dividing cells. The ideal candidate is comfortable with cutting‑edge tools in molecular biology, cellular engineering, and high‑throughput screening, and is an expert at optimizing the efficacy of gene editing proteins in cell culture models and primary cells. The role is primarily lab‑based, with the opportunity to work closely with computational biology and deep learning teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and implementation for discovery and engineering of novel gene editing tools.
• Develop strategy for design, build, test cycles of novel proteins, with a strong emphasis on discovery and engineering of gene editing tools.
• Optimize hits for activity and specificity using human primary cells and cell lines.
• Lead by example to create an open and honest scientific culture at Basecamp Research.
• Establish strong documentation practices and lab SOPs as a founding member of the lab team.

Required skills and experiences

• A graduate (MSc/PhD) degree in the life sciences or related field.
• 4+ years (MSc) or 0+ years (PhD) post‑grad experience in gene editing, NGS assay development, protein engineering, cell therapy, gene therapy, or related lab‑based roles.
• Experience with high‑throughput screening, including large‑scale arrayed screening and pooled screening. The candidate is experienced with diverse readouts and robust statistical analyses for screening campaigns including fluorescent reporter assays and NGS‑based readouts.
• Experience translating emerging technologies in gene editing from early lab POC to reproducible products with a path for regulatory approval.
• Fluency in bioinformatics, both conceptually and in practice, strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication skills to both internal and external stakeholders.

Advantageous skills and experiences

• Expert understanding of gene editing tools, including nucleases, base editors, recombinases, and retrotransposons.
• Ability to reason about protein structure‑function relationships.
• Expertise in gene delivery mechanisms, including LNP, AAV, and VLP platforms.
• Expert at mammalian cell culture, transfection, and cell‑line generation, and cellular screening for gene editing outcomes, including NGS‑based readouts.
• Experience integrating AI protein design tools with high‑throughput wet lab screening methodologies.
• Fluency in lab automation, NGS instrumentation, basic bioinformatics tools, and traceable data pipelines.

What we can offer

• The opportunity to be a key member in an exciting, dynamic, and fast‑moving field.
• A fun, flexible, and supportive work environment and an emphasis on collaboration and personal development.
• A highly collaborative culture; we always work cross‑team and cross‑function, with engineers, data scientists, and biologists working directly together to tackle complex issues.
• Competitive compensation including equity.
• Comprehensive medical coverage with Cigna.
• Life insurance.
• 401(k) plan.
• Generous PTO.
• Enhanced parental policy.

Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level

Employment type: Full‑time

Job function: Research, Analyst, and Information Technology

Do you want to join our team as our new Scientist? Then we'd love to hear from you!