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MaverickX

Provides lixiviants for mineral recovery

Research Associate

Full-TimePosted on 10/28/2026
No salary listed
Mid
Bachelor's, Master's
Pleasanton, TX, USA
In Person
Biology & BiotechBioprocess & Biomanufacturing

About the job

Requirements
  • A Bachelor's or Master's degree in biochemical engineering, chemical engineering, biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, or a related field.
  • At least 2 years of hands-on experience in a laboratory, fermentation, or bioprocess development environment.
  • Hands-on experience operating bench-scale fermenters or bioreactors and a basic understanding of key process parameters.
  • Experience working with bacterial and other microbial cultures.
  • Ability to maintain accurate records and pay close attention to detail.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team and manage multiple tasks effectively.
  • Knowledge of laboratory safety protocols and procedures.
Responsibilities
  • Prepare and sterilize culture media for fermentation experiments.
  • Set up, operate, and monitor bench-scale bioreactors and fermenters.
  • Monitor and control process parameters, including pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, agitation, and aeration.
  • Perform aseptic sampling and prepare samples for analytical testing.
  • Support fermentation process development and optimization.
  • Evaluate media composition and feeding strategies to optimize microbial growth and productivity.
  • Clean, sterilize, and maintain bioreactors and associated process equipment.
  • Analyze fermentation data and prepare experimental reports.
  • Support process scale-up from shake flasks to bench-scale bioreactors.
  • Follow established standard operating procedures and laboratory safety procedures.
  • Maintain accurate documentation of experimental procedures, process data, results, and observations.

About the company

MaverickX develops chemical technologies for natural resource extraction in the mining and energy sectors. Its products include LithX, an ambient-temperature lixiviant that dissolves copper, gold, and other metals from low-grade ores and legacy stockpiles without added acid or high-pressure systems, and PetroX, a synthetic enzyme that solubilizes hard rock ores at low temperatures to recover lithium with high efficiency. The company tests its chemistries on client-supplied materials and then supplies the effective solutions to improve resource recovery, with applications that also aim to extract metals from old oil wells. Differentiation comes from combining chemistry-based lixiviants and enzymes that plug into existing mining flowsheets at low capital cost, supported by YC funding and seed rounds; the goal is to boost metal recovery from lower-grade resources and improve oil and gas efficiency while reducing energy use and capital needs.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Early VC

Total Funding

$7.6M

Headquarters

Austin, null

Founded

2022

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Professional Development Budget
  • Company Equity