Research Associate, Molecular and Cell Biology

Biohub • San Francisco, CA

7d • $79,000 - $98,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Biohub is a 501(c)(3) biomedical research organization building the first large-scale scientific initiative combining frontier AI with frontier biology to solve disease. We build the technology to help scientists around the world use AI-powered biology to study how cells operate, organize, and work as part of systems to understand why disease happens and how to correct it. With our compute capacity, AI research and engineering, and state-of-the-art technology for measuring, imaging, and programming biology, we are enabling scientists worldwide to use AI-powered biology to advance our understanding of human health.
The Team
Through our multi-dimensional imaging program, we build imaging tools that capture life across scales — from single proteins to whole organisms — revealing how proteins and cells function, communicate, and assemble into living systems. These observations are laying the groundwork for a new generation of AI models that can predict cellular behavior and guide the development of better treatments for widespread diseases. You can learn more about our work here.
Our work brings together three powerhouse universities - Stanford, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine.
Our Vision
Pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
Enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
Facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond
We are a team of passionate individuals powered by technology, guided by scientific research, and driven by collaboration, working toward a mission to cure or prevent all disease.
The Opportunity
As part of the multi-dimensional imaging program, the CELLxSTATE Program builds next-generation technologies to decode and control how cells make decisions — combining live-cell imaging, multi-omics, and AI at unprecedented scale. We also create large reference datasets that can be mined and re-used by the entire community for discovery, like our OpenCell project that maps protein localization and interactions (https://opencell.czbiohub.org/). Our science is fully open-source and published in journals like Science, Nature Methods, and Cell (https://biohub.org/leonetti/publications/).
At the core of our current efforts is multiDPS (Multimodal Dynamic Pooled Screening), a high-throughput platform that integrates custom microscopy, automation, CRISPR screening and molecular profiling to map and predict dynamic cell states.
We are seeking a Research Associate, Molecular and Cell Biology to help build a state-of-the-art imaging screening platform that will be applied to cell-based disease models. This is a great opportunity for candidates with a strong interest in cell biology and biotechnology, supported by experts in a highly collaborative and well-funded scientific environment. Recent graduates interested in research experience before applying to graduate or medical school are welcome to apply.

Requirements

• B.Sc. in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering or a related discipline
• At least 1 year of cell biology experience in an academic or industrial research laboratory setting
• At least 1 year of tissue culture experience (including iPSCs preferred)
• At least 1 year of microscopy experience
• At least 1 year of molecular biology techniques (e.g., PCR, cloning)
• Strong attention to detail in maintaining lab notebooks
• Passion for research and learning new techniques
• An enthusiasm for team science and open science - this position will be embedded in a large multi-disciplinary team
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience with CRISPR methods
• Experience with coding (Python, R, Matlab, etc.)

Responsibilities

• Perform cell engineering and maintenance of mammalian cell lines, including iPSCs and differentiated derivatives, including routine passaging, genetic modifications, and quality control.
• Apply basic molecular biology techniques such as PCR, plasmid cloning, and DNA/RNA preparation to support cell engineering and molecular assays.
• Execute live-cell and fixed-cell imaging experiments, with a focus on high-content imaging approaches to generate large-scale, quantitative datasets.
• Manipulate cellular function using chemical and CRISPR-based perturbations.
• Maintain detailed, organized experimental records.
• Analyze experimental data using Python, ImageJ, and Napari.
• Contribute to publications through data generation, figure preparation, and methods documentation, with authorship opportunities.

Benefits

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice.
• Funding for select family-forming benefits.
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level