Member of Platform Science (Research Scientist)

Anthrogen • San Francisco, CA

11h • Onsite

About The Position

Anthrogen is seeking an experimental Research Scientist to conduct research on the behavior of designed proteins and assemblies, including how they function, interact, and fail. The role involves developing assays, deciding what to measure, and investigating results in depth. Platform Science scientists help select biological problems and define evidence of progress, rather than simply fulfilling validation requests from the modeling team. The team values research judgment and experimental depth across modalities.

The scientist will drive experimental research from the initial question through assay design, execution, analysis, and subsequent design decisions. They will build quantitative biochemical and functional assays for designed proteins and assemblies, including experiments in relevant cellular contexts; distinguish biological activity from assay artifacts using appropriate controls and independent measurements; and work with ML researchers to translate successes and failures into useful constraints for future designs. They will also develop reliable methods across constructs, targets, and repeated experiments, and help colleagues use them effectively.

This is a full-time, onsite position in San Francisco. Equity is listed at 0.05–0.5%.

Requirements

• Track record of original experimental research, with the ability to explain personal contributions; examples may include a strong paper, a difficult discovery program, or a method relied on by other scientists.
• Deep hands-on expertise in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, or a closely related field, with fundamentals sufficient to work beyond one's specialty.
• Ability to build and troubleshoot assays, reason quantitatively about their limitations, and recognize misleading results.
• Ability to drive a research direction independently while remaining close to bench work.
• Strong biological intuition and ability to turn uncertain questions into decisive experiments.
• Curiosity, high agency, and willingness to change conclusions when experiments disagree.

Nice To Haves

• Experience characterizing engineered proteins or complex protein systems.
• Experience investigating protein function and mechanism in cellular systems.
• Experience connecting structural or biophysical measurements to function.
• Python or R experience for analysis, or experience with high-throughput experimentation and lab automation.

Responsibilities

• Drive experimental research from the initial question through assay design, execution, analysis, and the next design decision.
• Build quantitative biochemical and functional assays for designed proteins and assemblies, including experiments in relevant cellular contexts.
• Distinguish real biological activity from assay artifacts through appropriate controls and independent measurements.
• Work closely with ML researchers to turn successes and failures into useful constraints for future designs.
• Develop methods that remain reliable across constructs, targets, and repeated experiments, and help colleagues use them well.
• Own research into how designed proteins and assemblies function, interact, and fail.
• Help determine which biological problems to tackle and what evidence would constitute progress.
• Document work so that others can reproduce it.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed