Research Scientist

Research Scientist

Turn Innovation into Products That Labs Depend On

Why This Role Matters
The next breakthrough reagent or assay technology won't develop itself. At Filtrous, our Research Scientist leads the charge—taking ideas from concept to commercial product. You'll design experiments, optimize formulations, and validate new nucleic acid extraction kits, sample collection products, and qPCR assays that serve clinical diagnostics, analytical testing, and life science research markets. Your work won't sit on a shelf; it'll ship to labs that depend on it. If you want your science to have real commercial impact, this is where it happens.

What You'll Do
• Develop Nucleic Acid Extraction Kits: Formulate and optimize column and magnetic bead kits for DNA, RNA, and combined DNA/RNA purification, from lysis and binding chemistry through wash and elution buffers. Build add-ons that extend each kit to difficult sample types such as blood, tissue, soil, and plant material.
• Design and Verify qPCR Assays: Take new qPCR kits from in-silico primer and probe design through optimization, multiplexing with internal controls, and verification of sensitivity, specificity, and limit of detection across a range of genetic and microbial targets.
• Build Sample Collection Products: Develop sample collection and transport products that protect DNA and RNA from collection to the lab, and run real-time stability studies on contrived and patient samples to prove performance and shelf life.
• Benchmark Against Market Leaders: Compare every Filtrous kit head-to-head with leading commercial products using qPCR, NanoDrop, and Qubit, and turn the results into application notes and performance claims the sales team can use.
• Lead Projects Through Hand-off to Manufacturing: Own each project from concept to a locked kit configuration, guide lab technicians at the bench, and transfer finished products to manufacturing with SOPs, instructions for use, kit calculators, and development reports.

Problems You Will Solve
• Extraction kits must beat the leaders: Our column and magnetic bead kits have to match or beat the market-leading brands on yield, purity, and qPCR results across a wide range of clinical and environmental sample types before they can launch.
• Tough samples break standard protocols: Difficult samples, from hard-to-lyse microbes to fatty tissue and plant material, each need their own pretreatment chemistry, and Filtrous needs validated add-ons that let its core kits handle them.
• Samples degrade before they reach the lab: DNA and RNA break down during collection and shipping, so our sample collection products must prove through real-time stability studies that they protect samples as well as the market leaders.
• Labs need faster genetic answers: Labs want ready-to-use qPCR kits with fast, reliable results, and each new Filtrous kit must be designed, verified, and handed to manufacturing from scratch.
• qPCR results must match plate counts: Our microbial qPCR assays only matter if labs trust them as much as traditional plate counts, which means proving a reliable correlation between qPCR results and colony counts across a broad panel of bacteria, yeast, and mold.

How Success is Measured
• Extraction kits (column and magnetic bead) that match or beat leading brands on yield, purity, and qPCR results across every target sample type
• qPCR kits verified for sensitivity, specificity, and limit of detection, with microbial assays that correlate reliably with plate counts
• Real-time stability data that proves the shelf life of every new product
• Clean, audit-ready hand-offs to manufacturing: locked formulations, SOPs, instructions for use, and development reports with documented lot-to-lot reproducibility

Why You'll Love It Here
At Filtrous, your research doesn't disappear into a publication backlog. You'll see your work become real products used by real labs. You'll have the freedom to lead projects and make technical decisions in a startup-speed environment, backed by a team that values scientific rigor and execution equally. You'll collaborate across every department—from manufacturing to sales—and your expertise will directly shape our product roadmap. As Filtrous expands its R&D capabilities, you'll be at the center of it, with opportunities to build a team and lead our innovation strategy.

Who You Are
• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related life sciences field (required)
• Proven track record in R&D (publications, patents, or products)
• Hands-on expertise in DNA and RNA extraction and purification, including column and magnetic bead methods
• Proficient in qPCR assay design and optimization: primer and probe design, multiplexing, standard curves, and limit of detection studies
• Strong data analysis skills with the ability to interpret complex experimental results
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Self-driven: you thrive working independently while collaborating in a team environment
Bonus points if you have:
• Experience bringing products from bench to commercial launch
• Background in clinical diagnostics or GMP/regulated manufacturing
• Experience with molecular biology reagent formulation and stability studies
• Microbiology experience culturing bacteria, yeast, and mold and running plate counts (CFU)
• Experience with plant molecular biology or agricultural testing

About Filtrous
Founded in 2017, Filtrous delivers speed, quality, and value to agile labs. We're a lab supplies distributor serving laboratories across a wide range of scientific and industrial sectors. Our secret? We combine uncompromising product quality with customer service that actually picks up the phone.

Position Details
Compensation $75,000 – $90,000 per year
Job Type Full-time
Benefits Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, PTO
Location Poway, CA (in-person)
Schedule Monday to Friday, weekends as needed
Travel Some travel may be required

Ready to Join Us?
If you want your science to ship—not just publish—and you're ready to lead product development at a company that moves fast and values execution, we'd love to hear from you.

Filtrous is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.