Research Associate

**Company Profile**

Tersa is developing novel biotechnologies for remediation of mining waste. We aspire to drive the mining industry to a new era of profitability and sustainability by providing improved solutions in the area of mining tailings management and providing unmatched solutions for decarbonization.

**Job Summary**

The Research Associate, Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) will assist in testing, optimizing and scaling up the microbially induced carbonate precipitation processes. The Research Associate, MICP will work as part of a team, collaborating with chemical and biological engineers, mining engineers, electrochemical engineers and biotechnologists supporting decarbonization solutions, in eliminating mining tailings ponds.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Characterize growth kinetics and enzyme activity of bacteria.
- Perform mineralization studies with various strains of bacteria
- Running assays for testing microbial activity
- Formulate and optimize culture media recipes.
- Assist with fabricating, building and troubleshooting bioreactor scale-up and integrated systems.
- Perform techno economic analyses to guide field deployment.
- Engage in modeling and simulation projects to optimize biologically induced precipitation.
- Cross-Team Collaboration: Collaborate closely with internal teams to ensure the successful completion of projects, offering support to engineering, research and development, business development, and operations teams as needed.
- Technical Documentation: Create detailed reports and technical documents, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to document research processes and findings.
- Equipment and Lab Maintenance: Set up, calibrate, and perform routine maintenance on specialized laboratory equipment to ensure its accurate and consistent operation.
- Other Assigned Duties: Fulfill any other related duties as required by the research or laboratory environment, ensuring the smooth progression of experiments and projects.

**Education/Professional Qualifications**

Bachelor's degree of Biology, Biochemistry, Applied Science in Chemical, Biological or Biochemical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology or related disciplines, with 0-2 years of related experience in areas such as:

- Experience in bacterial culturing, growth kinetics, enzyme kinetics, testing samples using qualitative and quantitative assays.
- Previous experience in mining or biotechnology industries and/or working with bioreactors for biomass and protein production is considered an asset

A combination of education, experience, skills & abilities may be considered.

**Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities**
- Skilled in using aseptic techniques with a Bunsen burner and biosafety Programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB
- Familiarity with molecular biology methodologies such as PCR, gel electrophoresis and molecular cloning
- Familiarity with analytical methods such as chromatography and X-Ray crystallography
- Experience with an electronic lab notebook program is an asset (e.g. Benchling)
- Ability to synthesize complex information towards solution-focused and creative problem solving.
- Possesses a positive and adaptable attitude within a fast-paced and collaborative work environment.
- Proven ability to take initiative, work independently and demonstrate proficient time management and organizational skills to meet deadlines without compromising on quality.
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral), with the ability to produce technical documents and presentations to communicate concepts and results clearly to an interdisciplinary audience.

**Salary**: $51,000.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Paid time off

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

**Education**:

- Bachelor's Degree (required)

Work Location: In person