The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago (https://www.czbiohub.org/chi) is an independent nonprofit research institute that brings together three powerhouse universities - Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine. CZ Biohub itself supports some of the brightest, boldest engineers, data scientists, and biomedical researchers to make breakthroughs in medicine and develop new technologies, frequently in collaboration with our partner universities. We are guided by our values of scholarly excellence; disruptive innovation; hands-on engineering/hacking/building; partnership and collaboration; open communication and respect; inclusiveness; and opportunity for all.
Our Vision
- We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
- We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
- The technologies developed at CZ Biohub Chicago facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond
Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of CZ Biohub Network and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.
The Opportunity
We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity for a driven and highly skilled Research Associate to join our new Functional Genomics team and a dynamic large team of engineers, physicists, biologists, and computational scientists. Ideal candidates will possess extensive hands-on laboratory research experience with cell and molecular biology techniques in immunology. A strong emphasis on open communication and curiosity is crucial. The candidate must thrive in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary environment and be capable of working on multiple drug discovery research projects simultaneously.
You will
- Conduct high-throughput pooled CRISPR/Cas9 genetic screens to identify and validate new immunology/inflammation drug targets
- Generate knockout (KO), knock-in (KI) and overexpression cells for functional and phenotypical validation
- Develop and refine various multi-color flow cytometry-based assays to analyze cell surface markers, intracellular cytokines, and other functional assays using primary or iPSC-derived immune cells
- Routine primary and immortal cell lines culture
- Contribute to target discovery and technology innovation projects by working closely with a diverse team of multidisciplinary research scientists, including those from engineering, functional genomics, bioinformatics, and disease-specific areas
- Maintain thorough and organized documentation of all experiments and procedures
You have
Essential –
- Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or a related discipline
- Minimum of 3 years of laboratory work experience
- Hands-on experience in conducting high-throughput genome-wide genetic CRISPR screens is essential
- Hands-on experience in multi-color flow cytometry characterization and culturing of primary immune cells, including macrophages, NK cells, and T cells
- Familiarity with CRISPR technologies and their delivery methods, including lentiviral vectors and RNPs
- Proficient in molecular biology techniques, particularly Lentivirus packaging, SDS-PAGE, molecular cloning, electroporation, confocal microscopy, qPCR, multi-color Flow cytometry, tissue dissociation, and DNA/RNA extraction
- Demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire new skills and knowledge, show productivity, and produce high-quality results
Nice to have -
- Experience in animal handling and dosing
- Experience in neuroscience/ oncology research domains
- Basic understanding of OMICS and R/Python programming languages
- Experience in other high-throughput screening methods, such as Perturb seq and Cas12
- Experience in other gene editing approaches, such as prime editing and base editing
- Experience in conditional KO/KI animal models, such as Cre-Lox
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub requires all employees, contractors, and interns, regardless of work location or type of role, to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster vaccine dose, if eligible, by their start date. Those who are unable to get vaccinated or obtain a booster dose because of a disability, or who choose not to be vaccinated due to a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance must have an approved exception prior to their start date.
What We Provide
- Resources to disrupt and innovate at the frontiers of our knowledge of biology and disease
- A collegial and collaborative environment consisting of diverse expertise
- Access to collaborators, resources and facilities at our three partner universities (Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and at partner organizations in Chicagoland and beyond
- Competitive compensation and benefits commensurate with the experience
Benefits
We offer a robust benefits program that enables the important work Biohubbers do everyday. Our benefits include healthcare coverage, life and disability insurance, commuter subsidies, family planning services with fertility care, childcare stipend, 401(k) match, flexible time off and a generous parental leave policy. In addition, we honor our commitment to career development and our value of scholarly excellence through regular onsite opportunities to learn from the world's leading scientists.
The CZ Biohub Network is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive organization where all Biohubbers feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution. Therefore, we provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. The CZ Biohub Network does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. The CZ Biohub Network will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with the CZ Biohub Network.
What We Do
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network is a group of nonprofit research institutes that bring together physicians, scientists, and engineers with the goal of pursuing grand scientific challenges on 10- to 15-year time horizons. These institutes partner with Chan Zuckerberg Science in its goal to understand the mysteries of the cell and how cells interact within systems. This collaboration will bring us closer to our mission to cure, prevent, or manage all disease by the end of the century.
CZ Biohub San Francisco — which was the inaugural Biohub and launched in 2016 — focuses on infectious disease, quantitative cell science, and technology platforms. It also has an investigator program supporting early-stage, risky research of scientists at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UCSF.
CZ Biohub Chicago, which launched in 2023, focuses on engineering technologies to make precise, molecular-level measurements of biological processes within human tissues, with an ultimate goal of understanding and treating the inflammatory states that underlie many diseases. It is a collaboration between the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
