Molecular Biology Expert at Mercor

Molecular Biology Expert | $70–105/hr | Remote (US Only)

Join a leading AI lab's GenAI team as a Molecular Biology Subject Matter Expert (SME), where your hands-on scientific expertise directly shapes the training data behind next-generation AI models. This is a W-2 position through Cincinnatus LLC, with placement at a top-tier AI lab. A minimum commitment of 20 hours per week on weekdays is required.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with research and engineering teams to identify gaps in a model's molecular biology reasoning and help resolve them.
• Design challenging, domain-relevant tasks and produce accurate, well-documented solutions covering primers (PCR, qPCR, cloning), plasmids, expression vectors, gRNA/sgRNA for CRISPR, mRNA constructs, and HDR/repair templates.
• Evaluate molecular biology tasks and model outputs against expert-quality benchmarks, providing clear written feedback on correctness, rigor, and biological reasoning.
• Develop guidelines and rubrics for assessing sequence design quality, including guide/target selection, homology arm length, primer Tm and specificity, codon optimization, and regulatory elements.
• Collaborate with fellow SMEs to ensure consistency and accuracy across all training data.

Core Qualifications

• Advanced degree required; PhD strongly preferred in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, synthetic biology, bioengineering, or a related life science field.
• Hands-on experience designing nucleic acid constructs across multiple modalities: primers, plasmids/vectors, gRNA/sgRNA, mRNA, and HDR templates — along with cloning strategies (Gibson, Golden Gate, Gateway, restriction) and codon optimization.
• Strong peer-reviewed publication record, with preference for first-author work in high-impact journals such as Nature, Cell, eLife, Nucleic Acids Research, PNAS, or EMBO Journal. Please include publication links in your application.
• Clear and demonstrable career progression in a relevant scientific field.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly and precisely.
• Bonus: Prior experience in AI training, model evaluation, or data annotation.

Cincinnatus LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.