What are the responsibilities and job description for the Strain Engineer position at Anthology?
Scientist - Protein Expression (Full-Time)
Location: Cambridge, MA (On-site)
Company: Anthology Bio
Company summary
Anthology is Boston-based genome design company. We engineer fungi through advanced genetics, microfluidics, and AI to biomanufacture functional proteins at 5-10× lower cost compared to extracting these proteins from their natural sources. Our goal is to build a climate-resilient protein supply chain for human and planetary health. Backed by leading deep-tech investors, we have partnered with global nutrition and ingredient manufacturers to bring cost-effective proteins to market.
Overall
We are looking for a scientist to drive recombinant protein expression in filamentous fungi. Reporting to the Director of R&D, you will own core platform work — from molecular cloning and fungal transformation through expression screening and assay development — while also contributing to genome-wide screening and sequencing efforts. You will mentor research associates, collaborate across microfluidics and computational teams, and bring both rational and evolutionary engineering approaches to bear on hard expression problems. This is a role for someone who can operate independently, troubleshoot creatively, and grow with the platform.
Responsibilities
- Design and execute molecular cloning workflows to construct and optimize fungal expression
- Optimize genetic systems for genome-wide screening and sequencing
- Develop and run protein expression assays in shake flask format, from culture setup through quantification and characterization
- Independently troubleshoot experimental challenges, propose solutions, and develop improved experimental plans
- Communicate and collaborate effectively with team members across diverse scientific and technical roles
- Manage and mentor research associates with varied scientific backgrounds
- Work with the microfluidics team to adapt and validate protein assays for microdroplet-based high-throughput screening
- Maintain rigorous experimental documentation to support reproducibility and platform iteration
Qualifications
- Ph.D. (or equivalent experience) in biochemistry, bioengineering, microbiology, synthetic biology, systems biology, or a related field
- Strong molecular cloning skills and experience constructing complex genetic assemblies
- Experience with protein expression and characterization including SDS-PAGE, western blot, ELISA, mass spec, or equivalent assays
- Strong understanding of rational and evolutionary engineering principles
- Able to work on-site in Cambridge, MA
- Authorized to work in the United States (STEM-OPT or J1 are welcomed)
Nice to have
- Direct experience culturing and/or engineering filamentous fungi (Aspergillus, Trichoderma, or similar) and/or yeast (S. cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris, or similar)
- Familiarity with protein design using biological language models (ESM, ProteinMPNN, RFdiffusion, or similar)
- Python scripting experience — data processing, assay analysis, or bioinformatics workflows
Why work at Anthology?
- Work on a genuinely hard, open-ended problem — fungal expression biology at the frontier of what's commercially relevant
- Collaborate across wet lab, microfluidics, and computational teams in a highly integrated environment
- Brand-new 150K sq ft deep-tech facility at The Engine by MIT
- Competitive salary, equity, and benefits (health insurance, 401k)
Start date
- ASAP