Research Associate

We are seeking a Senior Research Associate to join our team working at the interface of generative AI and biology. The ideal candidate is experienced in molecular biology, biochemistry, mammalian cell culture, and high-throughput screening methods. You will work both collaboratively and independently with teammates to develop and execute screening assays to functionally test and characterize novel proteins designed using our proprietary models .

This is an opportunity to help shape and grow an organization that advances artificial intelligence and applies it to longstanding scientific challenges. This role requires strong technical capability, adaptability, organizational and communication skills, as well as ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic team-oriented environment.

At Latent Labs, we are building frontier models that learn the fundamentals of biology. We pursue ambitious goals with curiosity and are committed to scientific excellence. Before building Latent Labs, our team co-developed DeepMind’s Nobel-prize winning AlphaFold, invented latent diffusion, and built pioneering lab data management systems as well as high throughput protein screening platforms. At Latent Labs you will be working with some of the brightest minds in generative AI and biology.

Our team is committed to interdisciplinary exchange, continuous learning and collaboration. Team offsites help us foster a culture of trust across our London and San Francisco sites.

We’re looking for innovators passionate about tackling complex challenges and maximizing positive global impact. Join us on our moonshot mission.

• You are a skilled experimental biologist. You have a Bachelor’s degree in molecular/cell biology, biochemistry, or a related field with two years of industry or academic research experience in the above field(s); or Master’s degree in molecular/cell biology, biochemistry, or a related field
• You have experience with assay development. You have at least one year of experience scoping, developing, and running experimental assays to answer scientific questions (e.g. yeast or mammalian display to study protein-protein interactions). You are able to work with assays in a variety of systems and organisms (e.g. mammalian cell lines, yeast, bacterial, phage, or in vitro) and can independently execute and troubleshoot experiments
• You have experience with high throughput workflows. You have experience with cell-based assays, molecular cloning, flow cytometry/FACS, and/or next-generation sequencing in biotechnology industry settings. You have experience with high-throughput biology methods as well as laboratory automation.
• You are used to managing large amounts of data. You have experience using and improving LIMS, Benchling or similar tools, to manage samples and data from high-throughput experiments
• You have strong scientific communication skills. You have experience successfully working as part of a cross-functional collaborative scientific team and you have strong scientific communication skills.
• You are a mission driven innovator. You are passionate about making a positive impact on the world, whether it's for patients, partners or beyond. You are motivated by the end goal and are flexible in adapting to different approaches and methodologies. You are interested in new and innovative ways to engineer biology while leveraging existing knowledge and expertise.

• You thrive in a dynamic and ambiguous environment. You excel in a fast-paced setting where goals must be achieved efficiently and urgently. You have a keen eye with high attention-to-detail for creating, then optimizing processes to improve speed and repeatability. You are an advocate for lab automation, both through hardware and software.

• You are a data scientist. Proficiency with data analysis and handling using R, JMP, SQL, and other software tools such as python and python notebooks.
• You’ve worked in a young biotech before. You have worked in startups and helped the company set up new workflows and processes
• You have experience with developing and testing antibodies or nanobodies
• You have experience in research-scale protein production (preferably in high throughput) and are proficient with biophysical assays such as BLI or SPR.

1. High-throughput assay development and execution :
   • Help develop and execute high-throughput functional assays, cell culture, and molecular biology and biochemistry workflows to characterize and validate novel protein designs
   • Scope and integrate high-throughput wet- and dry-lab tools into experimental workflows
   • Contribute to development and improvement of high-throughput screening platform
   • Detailed, accurate, and timely documentation of experimental procedures and parameters and handoff of data and analysis results to stakeholders
   • Regular communications of experimental outcomes and analysis results to team members and stakeholders
2. Self development:
   • Stay on top of relevant developments in synthetic biology
   • Continue building your understanding of generative AI as well as expanded areas of protein and cell biology
   • Participate in knowledge sharing, e.g. organize and present at our internal reading group.
   • Attend and present at conferences when relevant.

We offer strongly competitive compensation and benefits packages, including:

• Private health insurance
• Pension/401(K) contributions
• Generous leave policies (including gender neutral parental leave)
• Travel opportunities and more

We also offer a stimulating work environment, and the opportunity to shape the future of synthetic biology through the application of breakthrough generative models.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and we are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

To apply, please fill in our application form.