#193 [Genome Construction company] Scientist～Principal Scientist Culture Process Researcher

Company Overview

As a biotechnology company, they develop and provide a unique large-scale genome construction platform.

While traditional genome editing involves “partially rewriting” specific genes, their platform is characterized by the ability to “design and reconstruct” extremely wide genome regions with high precision on a megabase (one million base pairs) scale. This allows them to grant cells and microorganisms sophisticated new functions that were previously impossible.

[Main Business Areas and Use Cases]

• Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy: They design and modify iPS cell genomes on a large scale to develop “Master Cell Lines” with controlled rejection, providing a foundation for next-generation cell therapeutics and safer, high-performance transplant medicine.

• Bio-manufacturing (Synthetic Biology): They provide solutions to optimize industrial microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, etc.) to produce pharmaceutical raw materials, sustainable biofuels, and high-function materials cleanly and efficiently.

[Strengths and Outlook]

• Global Technological Superiority: They possess world-class scientific expertise, including being the only Japanese participant in the International Yeast Genome Project “Sc2.0” and a key member of the international genome writing consortium “GP-write.”

• Universal OS for Cells: They aim to become a “universal operating system (OS)” for cell engineering.

• Rapid Growth: In July 2025, they raised 2.8 billion yen in Series A funding. They have also initiated joint research with leading US biotech companies and universities, accelerating their global expansion.

• Their headquarters are located in San Carlos, California (Silicon Valley), and they are accelerating their U.S. operations. Even while based in Japan, you can always work directly connected to the U.S. ecosystem and market.

Job Description

In this position, you will be responsible for maximizing the potential of microorganisms through research and development of culture processes, thereby accelerating commercialization.

1. Designing Culture Plans
– Discussing with internal members (CTO and other researchers) to design culture strategies that maximize growth rate and material productivity
– Depending on your experience and motivation, you may also be involved in upstream metabolic pathway design and genome design.

2. Development and Optimization of Culture Processes
– Evaluating the culture of created microbial strains and investigating culture conditions to improve material productivity
– Developing processes with a view to scale-up using various culture devices (test tubes, microbioreactors, jar fermenters, etc.)

3. Driving Projects to Lead Commercialization
– Reporting and discussing research results in collaborative research with partner companies
– Managing and promoting the overall project schedule
– Working closely with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP), which has a pilot-scale facility in Europe, to smoothly translate research results into commercialization.

Requirements

■Master’s or Doctoral degree holder
■Experience culturing microorganisms or animal cells using a jar fermenter
*Especially important is experience in developing and optimizing culture processes for the purpose of substance production.

Preferred Requirements

■ Research and development experience in substance production using microorganisms
■ Experience managing research projects and teams
■ Experience in collaborative research with external organizations such as companies and academia [Attractions of researching at our company]
■ Business-level English proficiency
◆ Participation in domestic and international academic conferences is possible depending on motivation / You can be involved in cutting-edge research worldwide

Terms and Conditions

• Annual Salary: 4 – 11 million JPY 

• Bonus: None

• Salary Increase: Once a year

• Probation Period: 6 months

• Location: Kanagawa

• Social Insurance: Fully covered

• Working Hours: Based on 9:00-18:00 (left to the individual’s discretion)

• Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, and National Holidays

• Average Overtime: Discretionary labor system

• Smoking Cessation Measures: Non-smoking indoors

Selection Process

• Selection Flow: They conduct 2–3 interviews followed by a reference check.

• Required Documents: They require a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) for the initial screening.

• Interview Language: Their interviews can be conducted in either Japanese or English.