Co-op, AI for Protein Design

The role

This PhD-level co-op will join the Life Science AI team to contribute to applied ML research in protein engineering. The role involves exploring generative and predictive models for protein sequence, structure, and function.

What you will do

• Research generative and predictive models for protein and antibody design
• Analyze experimental datasets to evaluate model outputs and guide design decisions
• Prototype workflows linking model predictions, candidate prioritization, and wet-lab feedback
• Build datasets and benchmarks that support both domain-specific and general AI research models
• Share results through code, notebooks, and presentations

Required qualifications

• Currently enrolled PhD student in CS, ML, computational biology, bioengineering, biophysics, or a related field
• Research experience in machine learning, computational biology, or protein engineering
• Strong Python skills
• Experience with PyTorch, JAX, or similar frameworks
• Experience working with biological sequence, structure, or assay data
• Clear communication
• Comfort collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams

Nice to have

• Experience with protein language models, structure prediction, or generative design (diffusion or flow-based models)
• Familiarity with antibody design, developability, or wet-lab validation concepts
• Publications, preprints, or open-source work in ML for biology

About the company

Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science.