Research Associate
EngramBio
San Francisco, CA0–2 yrs34m agovia LinkedIn
This job at a glance
- Who can apply
- New grads and up to 2 years · Bachelor's degree
- Must know
- Troubleshooting
- Work
- On-site in San Francisco
- Pay
- Not stated by the employer.
- Skill demand
- Troubleshooting17%of 100 similar entry-level jobs posted in the US this week
- Listed
- Nov 9, 2026 · still open
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About the Role
Engram Biosciences is seeking a hands-on Research Associate for an on-site contract position focused primarily on producing and characterizing 3D human brain organoids, including forebrain and other region-specific models. The role is expected to be 9-12 months, with the opportunity to move to full-time.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain human iPSCs and neural stem or progenitor cells, including passaging, banking, cryopreservation, and routine quality checks.
- Generate and maintain forebrain and other region-specific brain organoids using established differentiation protocols.
- Monitor organoid morphology, health, maturation, and variation within and between batches.
- Induce and work with glial lineages, such as astrocytes, microglia, or oligodendrocytes, to support neural model development and characterization.
- Prepare cultures and organoids for staining, imaging, and other downstream assays.
- Document cell lines, organoid batches, culture conditions, deviations, and results clearly.
- Help troubleshoot and refine protocols.
- Support 2D neuronal cultures where they contribute to development or evaluation of the 3D models.
Requirements & Tech Stack
- Hands-on experience with human iPSC culture and 3D brain organoid differentiation or maintenance, ideally including forebrain or other region-specific models.
- Must have hands-on iPSC cell culture experience; brain organoid experience is ideal.
- Experience maintaining neural stem or progenitor cells and strong aseptic technique.
- Hands-on glial lineage induction experience with at least one of astrocytes, microglia, or oligodendrocytes.
- Careful experimental execution, clear documentation, and the ability to recognize and troubleshoot culture variability.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, stem cell biology, cell biology, bioengineering, or a related field. A master’s degree is also acceptable.
Additional Experience Valued
- Inhibitory neuron induction.
- Single-cell library preparation using 10x Genomics, Parse Biosciences, or Fluent BioSciences workflows.
- Experience with using high-content imagers like Molecular Device’s ImageXpress.
- Exposure to laboratory automation.