Research Associate - Protein

What We're Building

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.

About the Role

We are looking for a highly hands-on Research Associate to join our team and support protein science and cell biology workflows on the Medra Physical AI platform. This is a role for someone who loves being at the bench — someone who has spent years honing their craft in a fast-paced industry lab and takes pride in rigorous, reproducible science.

You will work closely with scientists and roboticists to execute, validate, and optimize protein characterization workflows and cell-based assays as part of our autonomous lab platform. You thrive when given a specific task to own end-to-end, and you bring the experience and intuition to operate independently.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute protein expression experiments across multiple host systems (e.g., mammalian, E. coli, cell-free) at various scales, from small-scale screens to larger production runs

• Run protein characterization assays, including SPR, BLI, DSF/DSC, and various developability assays.

• Perform cell-based binding and functional assays to evaluate candidates against cell-surface targets and assess functional activity.

• Own day-to-day operation and organization of the cell culture facility, including routine passaging using sterile technique, inventory management, and equipment maintenance.

• Maintain accurate and detailed experimental records in electronic lab notebooks (ELN), and contribute to SOP development

• Collaborate with scientists and cross-functional team members to ensure smooth handoffs and timely execution across the protein screening and characterization workflow.

What You Bring to the Team

• B.S. or B.A., or MS in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related scientific discipline

• 2-4 years (M.S.) or 4–6 (B.S./B.A. )years of hands-on, industry lab experience in protein science — we value deep bench experience over advanced degrees

• Demonstrated expertise in protein expression using mammalian cell lines (e.g., Expi293, ExpiCHO) and/or microbial systems

• Strong hands-on experience with high-throughput protein quality control and biophysical characterization.

• Experience maintaining mammalian cell lines and performing cell-based assays in an industry setting, including flow cytometry.

• Strong documentation habits, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently on defined tasks

• A scrappy, can-do attitude — you figure things out and get things done

Bonus Points For

• Familiarity with developability assessment assays (HIC, AC-SINS, PSR, or similar)

• Familiarity with analytical characterization techniques such as HPLC-SEC, HPLC-HIC, or FACS-based binding assays

• Familiarity with imaging-based cell assays (e.g., high-content imaging, fluorescence microscopy)

• Experience with cell-free protein expression or specialized enzyme workflows

• Comfort working with lab automation or robotics platforms

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.

What We Offer

• An opportunity to change the way that scientific research happens

• Fast-paced, creative, and collaborative work environment

• Significant equity ownership

• 401k

• Medical and dental insurance

• Unlimited PTO

• Weekday dinners