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Selections and Strain Improvement Co-op

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.  

The focus of the Selections and Strain Improvement (SSI) team is the application of directed evolution to achieve strain engineering objectives. We are always exploring new and powerful technologies to allow us to engineer cells faster, better, and cheaper.  We are looking for help in doing that. 

As a Selections and Strain Improvement (SSI) Co-op, you will: (1) design and construct genetic libraries of genes, pathways, and whole genomes, (2) develop and deploy genetic selections to improve production of target biomolecules, (3) develop and deploy multiplex cell-based assays, and (4) develop novel methods of ultra-high-throughput screening for phenotypes of interest. Project examples include:  evolving bacteria to degrade a disease causing molecule, discovering proteins that bind environmental toxins, engineering a novel genetic expression system, and developing genome editing technologies. 

Please note: this position is available for Fall co-op, starting in July 2023, for a 6 month term.

The Ginkgo Bioworks Early Talent program is open to students who will return to their degree programs upon completion of their employment at Ginkgo. Candidates must be enrolled in a United States based institution and/or have work authorization in the United States to be eligible to participate.

Responsibilities
  • Learn and execute standard synthetic biology protocols to further project goals, this may include basic plasmid design, molecular cloning, culturing various organisms, genome editing, and flow cytometry
  • Take experiments from start to finish, including experimental design and data analysis
  • Communicate within and across teams at Ginkgo
  • Document experimental and computational processes, and present outcomes of your work within and across teams at Ginkgo

Minimum Requirements
  • Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program with an interest in pursuing a Biotechnology career path
  • Current junior at the time of application
  • Majoring in Biology, Bioengineering, Genetics, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology or similar field
  • Willingness to learn and use a variety of software tools, including code and Ginkgo software under active development, and automation tools, including utilizing liquid handling robots
  • Ability to learn independently and gain expertise

Preferred Capabilities and Experience
  • Some experience in one or more of the following:  Cloning, NGS analysis, FACS, Directed Evolution, Cell-Free Systems, Genome Editing

We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.  

We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants.