Scientist II, Functional Bioassays & High Throughput Screening
Generate Biomedicines
Summary
The Functional Bioassays team is seeking a Scientist II to develop, optimize, and execute functional assays across Generate's therapeutic portfolio. This bench-focused role will generate high-quality data to guide protein design and program decisions, including AI/ML-enabled design cycles. The scientist will design, optimize, and troubleshoot biochemical and cell-based assays; execute high-throughput screening campaigns; analyze results; and support automation integration across programs. Work may include ion-channel, GPCR, ADC-related, and other functional assay platforms as portfolio needs evolve. Approximately 80-90% of this role will be laboratory-based. The scientist will collaborate with colleagues across Therapeutics, Technology, and cross-functional program teams to deliver well-controlled data for iterative design-build-test-learn cycles. This role is suited to a hands-on scientist with experience in functional assay development and high-throughput screening who can take ownership of experiments, communicate results clearly, and adapt to changing program needs.
Job description
Here's how you will contribute:
- Design, optimize, and implement high-throughput screening-compatible cell-based and biochemical assays, integrating automation where appropriate.
- Plan and execute plate-based high-throughput screening campaigns, analyze results, and interpret experimental datasets.
- Communicate findings to program teams to inform AI/ML-enabled design cycles, program decisions, and therapeutic optimization.
- Support high-throughput functional assay work across multiple therapeutic programs, with potential focus areas including ion channels, GPCRs, and ADC-related assays.
- Apply and expand expertise in novel functional assay technologies, including ion-channel and GPCR assays, as program needs evolve.
- Conduct experiments with attention to detail, scientific rigor, and adherence to established protocols.
- Troubleshoot assay performance, instrumentation, reagents, and workflows in partnership with senior scientists and Automation colleagues.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and well-organized records in electronic laboratory notebooks and other data systems.
- Prepare clear summaries of results for team discussions, program updates, and cross-functional meetings.
- Coordinate experiments with colleagues across Functional Bioassays, Automation, Biology, Protein Sciences, Data Science, and program teams.
- Follow laboratory safety practices, sample-handling requirements, data-integrity expectations, and Generate's scientific standards.
The Ideal Candidate will have:
- PhD in cell biology, pharmacology, immunology, biochemistry, bioengineering, molecular biology, or a related discipline, with approximately 2+ years of industry or postdoctoral experience; or MS with approximately 5+ years of relevant industry or academic research experience; or BS with approximately 7+ years of relevant industry or academic research experience.
- Hands-on experience with cell-based, biochemical, and functional assays in an academic, biotech, pharmaceutical, or related research setting.
- Strong technical foundation in mammalian cell culture and plate-based assay workflows.
- Experience with plate-based assay technologies such as ELISA, HTRF, AlphaLISA, luminescence or fluorescence assays, flow cytometry, or similar methods.
- Experience designing, optimizing, and executing high-throughput screening in 384- or 1536-well formats for small molecules, biologics, or both, with appropriate controls and replicates, sound data quality, and clear documentation.
- Ability to recognize assay-performance or data-quality issues, investigate likely causes, and contribute to troubleshooting.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed research environment where priorities may shift across programs.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple experiments or workstreams.
- Ability to analyze and present data at scale using tools such as Spotfire, Dotmatics, ScreenWorks, Harmony, iQue Forecyt, or similar platforms.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to summarize results, observations, and next steps clearly.
- Collaborative working style, accountability, curiosity, and adaptability when learning new assay formats, therapeutic areas, and technologies.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with ion-channel assays or related functional readouts, such as patch clamp, membrane-potential, thallium-flux assays, or electrophysiology workflows.
- Experience with GPCR assays, including reporter, calcium-flux, cAMP, IP-one, beta-arrestin, or other pathway-based functional assays.
- Experience with ADC, image-based internalization, targeted protein degradation, immune-cell, or cytotoxicity assay formats.
- Experience with organoid-based screening workflows.
- Experience working with primary cells, engineered cell lines, or stable cell-line generation.
- Experience with laboratory automation systems such as HighRes, Beckman Biomek i5/i7, Hamilton, EL406, Multidrop, or equivalent liquid-handling platforms.
- Interest in applying functional biology to AI/ML-enabled therapeutic discovery.
Requirements
- PhD in cell biology, pharmacology, immunology, biochemistry, bioengineering, molecular biology, or a related discipline, with approximately 2+ years of industry or postdoctoral experience; or MS with approximately 5+ years of relevant industry or academic research experience; or BS with approximately 7+ years of relevant industry or academic research experience.
- Hands-on experience with cell-based, biochemical, and functional assays in an academic, biotech, pharmaceutical, or related research setting.
- Strong technical foundation in mammalian cell culture and plate-based assay workflows.
- Experience with plate-based assay technologies such as ELISA, HTRF, AlphaLISA, luminescence or fluorescence assays, flow cytometry, or similar methods.
- Experience designing, optimizing, and executing high-throughput screening in 384- or 1536-well formats for small molecules, biologics, or both, with appropriate controls and replicates, sound data quality, and clear documentation.
- Ability to recognize assay-performance or data-quality issues, investigate likely causes, and contribute to troubleshooting.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed research environment where priorities may shift across programs.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple experiments or workstreams.
- Ability to analyze and present data at scale using tools such as Spotfire, Dotmatics, ScreenWorks, Harmony, iQue Forecyt, or similar platforms.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to summarize results, observations, and next steps clearly.
- Collaborative working style, accountability, curiosity, and adaptability when learning new assay formats, therapeutic areas, and technologies.
Benefits
- Annual bonus
- Equity compensation
- Competitive benefits package
Company overview
Generate Biomedicines is a pioneering therapeutics company operating at the intersection of machine learning, biological engineering, and medicine. The company is revolutionizing drug discovery through its proprietary Generative Biology™ platform, which enables the on-demand generation of novel protein-based medicines across multiple therapeutic modalities. By studying millions of proteins to understand nature's functional encoding rules, Generate Biomedicines can design and create breakthrough medicines with unprecedented speed and success rates. The company's platform represents a fundamental shift in therapeutic development, moving beyond traditional discovery methods to programmed generation of biologics including antibodies, peptides, enzymes, and stealth proteins. With advanced AI algorithms and automated experimentation systems, Generate Biomedicines is advancing a pipeline of innovative therapies, including GB-0895 for severe asthma which is progressing to Phase 3 studies. As a Flagship Pioneering company, Generate Biomedicines combines cutting-edge computational biology with deep biological expertise to address humanity's most challenging diseases.