Scientist, Cell Biology & Antibody Engineering

The role

The Scientist will develop and execute antibody screening and characterization on the Medra Physical AI platform. This role involves supporting tissue culture operations, designing in vitro and cell-based assays, and building lab capabilities for autonomous execution.

What you will do

• Design, execute, and interpret antibody screening and characterization campaigns
• Develop and run cell-based binding and functional assays using flow cytometry
• Run biophysical characterization on antibody candidates including SPR and BLI
• Execute developability assays to assess manufacturability and liability risks
• Maintain and engineer mammalian cell lines
• Build out new lab capabilities end-to-end
• Partner with roboticists and software engineers to translate workflows into autonomous protocols
• Maintain rigorous experimental records in electronic lab notebooks

Required qualifications

• Ph.D. in cell biology, immunology, biochemistry, or a related discipline with 2+ years of industry experience, or a B.S./M.S. with 6+ years of deep, hands-on industry experience
• Strong background in mammalian cell culture and sterile technique
• Deep hands-on expertise in flow cytometry, including high-throughput formats and panel design
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing cell-based functional assays for antibody characterization
• Working understanding of antibody structure, function, and the therapeutic antibody discovery process
• Comfort establishing target-overexpressing cell lines and evaluating/implementing new assay technologies
• Strong documentation habits, attention to detail, and the ability to drive multiple workstreams in parallel
• A scrappy, can-do attitude

Nice to have

• Experience screening antibodies against challenging target classes (e.g., GPCRs, ion channels, multi-pass membrane proteins)
• Experience with alternative binder formats — VHHs, bispecifics, Fc-fusions, ADCs, or non-Ig scaffolds
• Hands-on experience with lab automation and liquid handling platforms
• Experience expressing and purifying antibodies in HEK293/CHO systems
• Track record of developing and qualifying new assays or platforms from scratch

Benefits

• Significant equity ownership
• 401k
• Medical insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Unlimited PTO
• Weekday lunches and dinners
• Relocation benefits

About the company

Medra uses AI, robotics, and biology to accelerate life science research to eradicate disease. The team consists of engineers and scientists from companies like Tesla, Amazon, SpaceX, and Neuralink.