{"id":3409523,"url":"https://alion.io/job/deep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development","title":"Senior Research Associate, Cell Biology & Assay Development","company":{"id":3791251,"name":"Deep Origin","domain":"deeporigin.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/deeporigin-2","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workable","truth_index":null},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["South San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":104000,"max_usd":205000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1015},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Cell Culture","optional":false},{"name":"CRISPR","optional":false},{"name":"Flow Cytometry","optional":false},{"name":"Design of Experiments","optional":true},{"name":"PCR","optional":true},{"name":"qPCR","optional":true},{"name":"Western Blot","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-28T17:18:54Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-28","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T11:15:28Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":4,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":4},"description":"About DeepOrigin\nDeep Origin is building ambitious science in a fast-moving environment, combining AI and physics-based methods with wet-lab biology to advance drug discovery. The people who thrive here are accountable, adaptable, rigorous, humble, and direct. Across roles, we look for:\nOwnership through to the result. An experiment isn't done until the data are analyzed, the conclusion is written down, and whoever needs it next has it.\nJudgment under incomplete information. You resolve what you need to know, commit to a defensible course of action, and revise when the evidence warrants it.\nExacting about the work, unguarded about yourself. You hold data to a standard that survives scrutiny, and you drop your own interpretation when someone shows you better evidence.\nTransparency as a working habit. You surface problems while they are cheap to fix, and you explain your results so chemists, engineers, and computational colleagues can act on them.\nAbout the role\nWe are hiring a hands-on Senior Research Associate to build and run the cell-based assays and engineered cell lines behind our drug discovery programs. You will work day to day with a senior scientist in R&D, owning bench execution while helping shape assay strategy.\nYour core work: maintaining mammalian cell lines, engineering them with RNP-based CRISPR (knockouts and knock-ins), generating validated stable lines, and turning them into robust functional assays. The data you generate feeds directly into AI and physics-based compound design, so quality and reproducibility matter as much as throughput.\nApplicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.\nRequirements\nBachelor's or Master's degree in biology, cell biology, bioengineering, biochemistry, immunology, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.\nRelevant hands-on laboratory experience \nDemonstrated mammalian cell culture experience with strong aseptic technique, including routine maintenance of multiple lines in parallel.\nHands-on experience with CRISPR gene editing: knockout generation, and ideally knock-in, with validation of edited clones.\nExperience with transient transfection, and with generating and validating stable cell lines, including clonal selection and banking.\nExperience executing at least one cell-based assay readout, such as flow cytometry, plate-based viability, reporter, or proliferation assays.\nAbility to analyze data, assess assay quality, communicate findings clearly, and work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary setting.\nCommitment to laboratory safety, research integrity, accurate documentation, and responsible handling of biological materials.\nNice to have qualifications\nHands-on RNP-based CRISPR knockout and knock-in using Lonza Nucleofector platforms (4D-Nucleofector or equivalent), including program and buffer selection for the target cell type.\nExperience with high-throughput or automated assay platforms, including 96- or 384-channel electronic pipetting systems and benchtop pipetting robots (INTEGRA VIAFLO, MINI 96, VOYAGER, ASSIST PLUS or comparable), and multimode plate readers.\nExperience developing or optimizing BRET, TR-FRET/HTRF, or related proximity-based assay formats .\nMolecular biology bench skills: construct and primer design, cloning, qPCR or digital PCR, Western blot.\nDrug discovery experience in biotech or pharma, including work on a target-to-lead or lead-optimization program.\nFamiliarity with assay qualification concepts: design of experiments, dose-response analysis, curve fitting, acceptance criteria, and statistical assessment of assay variability.\nExperience with neuronal or other CNS-relevant cell models. .\nExperience with multiplexed editing, including triple knockouts or combined knockout and knock-in lines.\nKey responsibilities\nMammalian cell culture\nCulture, expand, and maintain mammalian cell lines under strict aseptic technique; monitor health, viability, density, and passage history.\nMaintain cryopreserved stocks, run mycoplasma and identity checks, and keep accurate lineage records.\nGenome engineering\nOptimize RNP-based CRISPR/Cas editing in mammalian cell lines: single and double knockouts.\nDesign and execute targeted knock-in strategies, including donor design, delivery optimization, and editing-efficiency assessment.\nGenotype and validate edits by sequencing, qPCR or digital PCR, and protein-level readouts.\nStable cell line generation\nPerform transient transfections to test constructs quickly, optimizing reagent, nucleic acid amount, and harvest timing, and confirming expression before committing to a stable line.\nGenerate stable lines using viral and non-viral delivery; perform clonal selection, expansion, functional validation, and banking.\nCharacterize clones for expression level, assay performance, and stability over passage.\nCell-based assay development\nDevelop, optimize, and run functional assays: plate-based, reporter and proximity-based assays; flow cytometry; and other cellular functional readouts. \nOptimize seeding density, stimulation conditions, dose range, incubation time, controls, and acceptance criteria to improve sensitivity, dynamic range, and reproducibility.\nPrepare test articles, reagents, controls, and assay plates according to established protocols and study plans .\nData, documentation, and communication\nAnalyze dose-response data, fit curves, assess assay quality (Z', signal window, variability), and flag trends, outliers, and deviations.\nKeep complete, timely records in the electronic lab notebook, consistent with data-integrity expectations.\nPresent results at team meetings and contribute figures and data to technical reports.\nLab operations\nTroubleshoot routine assay and culture problems, escalate significant deviations, and partner with colleagues to improve method robustness and transferability.\nSupport reagent preparation, inventory, equipment upkeep, sample tracking, and safety compliance.\nManage assigned work to agreed timelines.\nWorking conditions\nThis is a primarily onsite, laboratory-based position in South San Francisco. The role involves regular use of standard laboratory equipment and PPE, work with biological samples and research reagents, prolonged standing or sitting, repetitive hand motions, and moving laboratory supplies up to approximately 25 pounds, with reasonable accommodation as needed. Occasional work outside standard business hours may be required for time-sensitive experiments. Travel is minimal.\nBenefits\nCompetitive compensation package with meaningful equity.\nComprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.\nAnnual team gatherings and company events.\nFree lunch, snacks, beverages, and onsite gym access (for in-office employees).","description_format":"text","description_chars":6822,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Company events","Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Drug Discovery","Artificial Intelligence","Medical AI"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-28T17:18:54Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":4,"expected_fill_days":36,"reasons":["conf:3","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/deep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/deep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T13:36:26Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":18614,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3791251},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3791251"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fdeep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fdeep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fdeep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/deep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fdeep-origin-senior-research-associate-cell-biology-assay-development"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3409523}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"deeporigin.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3409523},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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