WHY WE EXIST

Fat is good. "Vegetable" oils are bad. Bad for us. Bad for the planet. How bad? Vegetable oils are terrible for human health. Regular consumption is shown to increase the risk of death by 62%, more than moderate smoking. They're also killing the planet. Four of the top five greenhouse gas emitting crops are industrially produced seed oils. And they are hidden everywhere. The average American consumes a staggering 20% of their calories from vegetable oils. We're on a mission to replace these "vegetable" oils in the food system. We believe they are the biggest problem when it comes to both rising rates of chronic disease and agricultural impact on climate change and ecosystem destruction. We're using the ancient art of fermentation to make healthier and more sustainable oils and fats. We need your help! Read below to see if your skills can help us make this a movement that changes the world.

ABOUT US

We're a team of food lovers, nutrition believers, innovators, doctors, PhD's, and problem solvers. We believe in taking care of our health and our planet's health without sacrificing the foods we love. We started Zero Acre Farms out of concern for what we're all involuntarily putting into our bodies and the profound effect it's having on our health and the natural world.

Zero Acre Farms is backed by an incredible group of investors, including mission-driven VC's, celebrities, influencers, and change makers.

THE ROLE

Zero Acre Farms is seeking a Research Associate to join our Strain Development Team. The successful candidate will have a background in molecular biology, biochemistry or related fields and a desire to apply this knowledge to the development of molecular genetic tools and useful microorganisms. The new team member will work closely with the Strain Development Team and will be able to communicate and collaborate successfully with members of the Bio-Analytical Chemistry and Fermentation & Physiology teams. This position is open to entry and senior level Research Associates. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Culturing microorganisms and performing genetic & functional screens 
• Construction and verification of recombinant DNA molecules 
• Construction and validation of novel microbial strains through transformation and phenotype or sequence analysis
• Performing experiments at standard and high throughput (HTP) scales
• Creating, managing, and screening libraries of genetically diverse strains
• Maintaining a safe and efficient workplace, following safe laboratory practices and maintaining an organized lab environment

REQUIREMENTS

• B.S./M.S. degree or equivalent experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, or closely related field
• Experience performing wet lab research in industry or academia
• Basic understanding of microbiology, molecular biology & biochemistry
• Wet-lab skills including microbial culture, PCR, and recombinant DNA construction
• Ability to apply knowledge to the development of novel methods and workflows
• Ability to validate and troubleshoot protocols under guidance of scientists
• Highly motivated individual with attention to detail and a desire to learn 
• Ability and desire to work collaboratively as part of a team

WHAT WE OFFER

• The excitement and purpose of a mission-driven startup and the stability of a well-funded company with experienced founders and executives at the helm
• Empowered team members with minimal bureaucracy 
• Competitive salary and meaningful equity
• Flexible vacation time (minimum 2 weeks)
• Focus on uninterrupted deep work time every day
• Medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, life coverage, health and dependent care FSA (flexible spending account), 401k
• Additional perks like Audible membership and free books
• Fun and engaging community. Work with driven, ambitious, health-conscious people who care about their work

A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDERS

The majority of Americans are sick. Let that sink in. More people have a chronic disease than not in this country! 6 out of 10. And a hundred years ago, almost no one had a chronic disease. Our healthy life expectancy is decreasing for the first time in recorded history. Our solution so far has been more prescription drugs (in 2018, the average American filled eighteen prescriptions).

Our planet is also being destroyed by the day. The Amazon loses about 2 football fields of rainforest every minute, mostly to grow industrial monocrops like seed oils that make us sick. Species extinction is at an all time high. Some projections say we only have 60 harvests left before our soil doesn't support any more life.

The real issue? These problems are interconnected. We're destroying the planet to grow food that makes us sick.

How is this not one of the most important, urgent, and talked about issues of our generation? We want to change that. We want to slow down and ideally reverse the skyrocketing rates of chronic disease and environmental impact caused by what we eat. We truly believe that we can save millions of lives, as well as millions of acres of rainforest, if we are successful in our mission of replacing destructive vegetable oils in our food supply.

That's what drives us, and we hope you'll join us.

APPLY

If you are interested in applying, please include a brief cover letter, and tell us about your relevant experience, why you're interesting in this role, and what you do in your own life to improve your health and the health of the planet!