Autonomous Research Scientist

Retro develops therapies for diseases driven by the biology of aging.

We work on (1) partial reprogramming, (2) blood factors, and (3) autophagy to rejuvenate and restore function to cells, tissues, and organisms.

We are looking for a Biologist to build our Autonomous Research team.

As a founding member of the Autonomous Research team, you will wear many hats and be challenged with new problems necessitating original thought. You will be joining as part of the early team of a rapidly evolving startup that has a long-term vision and financial stability. Candidates can look forward to helping set up and scale a focused research program in collaboration with a world-class team of scientists and engineers with diverse technical backgrounds.

Retro generates single-cell -omics & functional readouts within a matter of hours, not weeks. You will be responsible for generating biological information and transforming it into actionable insights using closed-loop robotic systems. Ideal candidates are comfortable across an entire biotechnical stack: single cell -omics, immunology, human iPS cells, and building custom hardware/software solutions.

Our team embraces technical challenges head-on with the belief that our deep understanding of the task at hand and use of state-of-the-art tools allows us to fundamentally advance our field in ways not immediately apparent.

Why Retro:

• 10x faster iteration loops than big pharma & academic labs
• Vertical integration of anything important
• You will work with everyone across the company
• A lot will change during this early stage, providing opportunity for significant impact -- It is not for the faint of heart.

Your primary responsibilities:

• Design and implement from scratch complex, automated experiments with scientific rationale and methods
• Design reprogramming time courses to analyze molecular patterns using sc-RNA, CITE, and ATAC-seq
• Work alongside engineers to develop automation for large-scale, parallelized dedifferentiation of human immune cells
• Develop high-throughput interfaces between biological and digital domains in direct collaboration with computational biology team
• Achieve wetlab buy-in on ambitious projects in automated biological research
• Quickly develop partial automation for several wetlab tasks simultaneously
• Evaluate new technologies, practices, and tools that increase scientific capacity and efficiency

Ideal qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to work and think independently
• Advanced Python programming skills, experience with Python testing and packaging infrastructure
• Experience working with single-cell RNA sequencing data or other forms of bioinformatics experience, going from raw reads to actionable data
• Experience establishing and maintaining aseptic practices for molecular and cell process development

You may be a good match for this role if you are:

• A Hacker: you build quickly, information finds its ways to you.
• Enthusiastic about rapidly and creatively experimenting, learning, and improving
• Excellent at explaining technical concepts clearly and have an open communication style
• Deeply care about aging and extending healthy human lifespan

We are looking to expand our exceptional team at our Redwood City location. The annual salary range for this role is $125,000 - $175,000. Total compensation also includes generous equity and benefits. Benefits and perks:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family
• 401(k) plan with 4% matching
• Unlimited time off and 10 company holidays per year
• Paid parental leave
• Annual learning & development stipend
• Free lunch and snacks