Scientist/Senior Scientist, Structural Biology

Who We Are:

Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico’s highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science and, with academic and industry partners, its vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs.

Position Description:

The successful candidate will join our Protein Science team to support Calico’s research in aging and age-related diseases. The candidate will work as part of a team to investigate structure-activity relationships to drive therapeutic design and optimization. The ideal candidate must be highly motivated, detail-oriented, work autonomously with a variety of experimental techniques, and be comfortable presenting results to cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design constructs and express and purify proteins for use in structural determination


• Devise and implement strategies for determining protein structures by cryo-EM and/or X-ray crystallography using internal resources and working with contract research organization partners


• Use software programs to solve, build, and refine protein structures and fit bound ligands 


• Present structural data to multiple groups at Calico to inform discovery programs


• Record data in an electronic notebook and keep electronic data files well-organized

Position Requirements:

• Ph.D. in biochemistry, biology, structural biology, biophysics, chemical biology, or a related discipline, and 0-5 years (for Scientist level) or 5+ years (for Senior Scientist level) of additional training in an industry or academic setting


• A track record of experience in structural biology as evidenced by high profile publications


• A deep understanding of protein structure and function and a strong background in protein biochemistry


• Hands-on experience expressing proteins using various systems and purifying proteins with AKTA FPLCs using a variety of techniques


• Hands-on experience in all aspects of cryo-EM structural determination including grid preparation, data processing, and structure building


• Hands on experience with all steps of X-ray crystallography structural determination is a plus 


• Proficiency with protein structure software packages for model building (Coot), model refinement (Phenix), and molecular viewing (PyMOL and Chimera) is required


• A general understanding of other experimental protein structure determination methods and modeling techniques is an advantage


• Prior experience working as part of a team in structure-based therapeutic optimization is an advantage


• A strong desire to work on therapeutic discovery is necessary


• Accountable, detail-orientated, and able to multitask


• Self-motivated and able to work independently in a cross-functional team environment


• Must be willing to work onsite 5 days a week

The estimated base salary range for this role is $135,000 - $191,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.