Research Associate At Medra, our mission is to use AI, robotics, and biology to accelerate life science research, with the ultimate goal of eradicating disease. We have been quietly building the foundational layers of our Physical AI Scientist platform: Physical AI that can operate scientific instruments with human-level dexterity. Scientific AI that can analyze results, reason about next steps, and close the loop autonomously. This is an incredibly ambitious mission, but we believe that a team of ambitious people with high ownership can accomplish incredible things. We're looking for a hands-on Research Associate to join our Foundry team and run a wide range of protein science and cell biology assays on the Medra Physical AI platform. This role is for someone who loves being at the bench and takes pride in rigorous, reproducible science. We're sourcing from a broad range of scientific backgrounds. If you're an excellent experimentalist, we want to hear from you, whether or not you've run every technique below. You will work closely with scientists and roboticists to run, validate, and optimize experimental workflows on our autonomous lab platform. Our robots don't sleep, so this role includes regular night and/or weekend shifts. During those shifts, you'll be the human hands and eyes that keep experiments moving while the rest of the team is offline. You thrive when you own a task end to end, and you have the judgment to work independently and know when to escalate.
Key Responsibilities:- Run scheduled experiments, monitor automated runs in progress, and keep the platform loaded, supplied, and productive so it never sits idle
- Support protein production workflows end to end: construct prep and assembly PCR, protein expression across host systems (e.g., mammalian, E. coli, cell-free) at scales from small screens to larger production runs, bead-based cleanup, and affinity/column purification
- Run protein characterization and QC assays, including SPR/BLI kinetics and quantitation (e.g., Carterra, Gator), DSF/DSC, HPLC-based purity and analytical QC, developability assays, and sample QC (e.g., NanoDrop), and flag off-spec results
- Perform cell-based binding and functional assays, including flow cytometry sample prep and analysis
- Maintain the cell culture facility day to day, including routine passaging with sterile technique, inventory management, and equipment maintenance
- Operate liquid handlers, magnetic particle processors (e.g., KingFisher), and plate-based workstations: load decks, launch methods, and recover from routine errors
- Follow SOPs precisely and help write and improve them; keep accurate, detailed records and metadata in the electronic lab notebook (ELN)
- Keep the lab shift-ready: restock consumables, manage sample chain of custody, follow BSL-2 and EHS practices, and leave clear handoff notes so the day team and the platform can pick up seamlessly
- What You Bring to the Team:
- B.S., B.A., or M.S. in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific field
- Hands-on wet-lab experience (industry experience preferred); we value deep bench skills over advanced degrees
- Hands-on experience with some of the following: protein expression and purification, biophysical characterization, mammalian cell culture, or cell-based assays
- Availability to work night and/or weekend shifts on a regular basis
- Exceptional attention to detail and reliable follow-through; you run the same step the same way every time and notice when something looks off
- Strong documentation habits and the ability to work independently and troubleshoot calmly
- A fast learner with a scrappy, can-do attitude who wants to master new, multi-step workflows
- Genuine enthusiasm for automation and robotics; you're excited to work alongside machines
- Bonus Points For:
- Protein expression in mammalian (e.g., Expi293, ExpiCHO), microbial, or cell-free systems
- High-throughput protein QC and biophysical characterization (SPR, BLI, DSF/DSC)
- Developability assays (HIC, AC-SINS, PSR, or similar) and analytical techniques such as HPLC-SEC or HPLC-HICFlow cytometry, FACS-based binding assays, or imaging-based cell assays (e.g., high-content imaging, fluorescence microscopy)
- Operating liquid handlers, plate readers, or robotic workstations
- Comfort with data tools or LIMS/ELN platforms (e.g., Benchling)
This position is 100% in-person; you must be able to come on-site to our San Francisco office. We offer relocation benefits for applicants who need to relocate.
