Scientist – Protein Biochemistry and Engineering About our company We are a Toronto-based agricultural biotechnology startup developing a novel platform for precision bioinsecticides. Our products are designed to eliminate target insect pests while leaving beneficial insects, pollinators, and the broader workplace unharmed. The Role We are looking for a Scientist to drive our insect receptor protein-binder discovery engine. You will own the wet-lab discovery pipeline, which includes producing and characterizing target insect receptors and developing high-throughput screening methods to identify high-affinity binders. You will also work directly with our computational team by generating the biophysical data needed to inform in silico protein design. Compensation $85,000 to $100,000 CAD + equity + benefits. What You’ll Do Design constructs for and express target insect protein receptors using insect cell expression systems (e.G., Sf9 or Hi5). Purify recombinant proteins using a range of chromatographic methods (affinity, SEC, ion exchange, HIC and similar). Optimize expression and purification workflows to produce high-quality protein for downstream screening and biophysical studies. Develop and execute high-throughput screening campaigns to identify binders from oligonucleotide-encoded libraries, including building display-based selection systems (e.G., yeast or bacterial display) and screening binders using FACS (or orthogonal methods).



Analyze enriched pools by next-generation sequencing to identify top binder candidates. Validate lead hits using binding assays such as BLI or SPR. Contribute to experimental planning, data analysis, and communication of results to the broader team. What You Bring PhD (or MSc + equivalent experience) in biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biology, protein engineering, or a related field. Hands‑on experience with recombinant protein expression in insect cells, including construct design, baculovirus generation, and expression optimization. Strong understanding of protein purification strategies (affinity chromatography, SEC, ion exchange, HIC) and the ability to troubleshoot and optimize workflows independently. Experience with protein characterization techniques (DLS, TEM, SEC, thermal stability assays, or similar). Familiarity with display technologies (yeast display, bacterial display, or phage display) and library screening by FACS. Experience with NGS library preparation and analysis of enrichment data. Experience with quantitative binding measurements (BLI, SPR, or similar). Proficiency in molecular cloning and standard molecular biology techniques. Nice to Have Experience with structural biology (cryo‑EM, X-ray crystallography, or related). Prior work in agricultural biotechnology, entomology, or insect biology. Comfort working in an early‑stage startup environment. #J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Scientist – Protein Biochemistry And Engineering - C$85,000 - C$100,000 A Year (Toronto)
🏢 Toronto-based agricultural biotechnology startup
📍 Toronto