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Associate Scientist / Senior Research Associate, Cell Culture & Molecular Biology

12 hours ago

Cambridge

Associate Scientist / Senior Research Associate, Cell Culture & Molecular Biology Divergence Labs is hiring a full-time Associate Scientist to support the cell culture and molecular biology work underpinning our antibody and biologics discovery platform. We are seeking an experienced candidate with a track record of scientific and professional achievement, including but not limited to 1 – 2 years of academic or industry experience in mammalian cell culture. The role is based at our Cambridge, UK research site and is an important support role within our day-to-day operations of our lab. About Divergence Divergence Labs is a biotechnology company on a mission to reshape standard of care across all disease areas. Founded in 2025 by an interdisciplinary team of biotechnology investors, drug hunters, hardware engineers, and machine learning scientists, we have assembled a high-performance team that unites investment acumen, world-class protein engineering, advanced computational research, and translational medicine to build repeatable methods for discovering new medicines which transform patient care. Divergence has presence across San Francisco, CA, Minnetonka, MN, New York, NY, and Cambridge, UK. Although we have not publicly disclosed our financing details, Divergence is well capitalized and backed by world-leading investors, each of whom are among the earliest investors in companies such as Isomorphic Labs, Xaira Therapeutics, Coefficient Bio/Anthropic, and Chai Discovery, among others. We are committed to identifying, developing, and rewarding world-class talent, and, as such, all positions at Divergence Labs come with market-leading cash and equity compensation. The Role We are hiring a hands-on Associate Scientist to support the cell culture and molecular biology work that underpins our antibody and biologics discovery platform, as part of our integrated Cambridge research team. The Cambridge, UK group is small and tightly coupled: screening scientists running our ultra-high-throughput functional screening platform, working alongside the cell and molecular biologists who build the engineered cells and reagents that platform depends on. You will work alongside our in-house scientists as the day-to-day engine of the lab: ensuring cell lines are healthy and available when required, preparing cells for high-throughput screening campaigns, and supporting the construction of mammalian-expressed libraries. This is a important support role: the reliability of what you produce sets the pace for everything downstream. It is also a role with room to grow. You will be trained on the platform's core techniques with scope to learn and develop core skills in molecular biology and assays alongside more complex cell engineering. Ideal Candidate Profile We are looking for a capable, motivated cell culture scientist who wants to learn fast in a small, integrated team and contribute from day one. Your background should include: • Solid hands-on cell culture experience: Confident and independent at the bench with mammalian cell culture, including aseptic technique, routine maintenance, and keeping lines healthy, contamination-free and on schedule., • A supportive, reliable working style: You take pride in work that other people depend on: consistent execution, careful records, and flagging problems early rather than quietly working around them., • Motivation to develop: Keen to broaden your skills across molecular biology, library generation and screening support, and to grow into greater ownership as the platform scales. Key Responsibilities • Maintain our cell lines: Own routine mammalian cell culture (e.g., passaging, feeding, counting, cryopreservation, thawing, mycoplasma testing, contamination control) so healthy, characterised cells are available when programmes need them., • Prepare cells for high-throughput screening: Expand, harvest, count and format cells to the specifications our screening team requires, executing against timelines and quality criteria., • Support mammalian library generation: Assist with construction of mammalian-expressed antibody and protein libraries (e.g., transfection/transduction, selection, expansion, banking, etc.)., • Support cloning and molecular biology: Carry out routine molecular biology to support construct generation: PCR, restriction and assembly cloning, bacterial transformation, plasmid preparation, and sequence verification of clones., • Keep work traceable: Maintain clear, accurate records in electronic lab notebooks (ELN), keep cell and plasmid inventories accurate and up to date, and follow established SOPs., • Keep the lab running: Prepare media, buffers and reagents; manage consumable stocks and ordering; and help maintain shared equipment so we are never blocked on the basics., • Embody good lab citizenship: Maintain lab cleanliness and organisation, comply with local SOPs and health-and-safety/risk-assessment requirements. Required Experience Successful candidates will have a BSc or Msc in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry or related discipline, plus 1-2 years of hands-on laboratory experience in an industry or academic research setting. The candidate must have: • Practical mammalian cell culture experience: aseptic technique, routine maintenance of adherent and/or suspension lines, cell counting and viability assessment, and cryopreservation and recovery of cell banks., • Some working knowledge of standard molecular biology techniques: PCR, cloning, bacterial transformation or plasmid preparation., • Careful, organised documentation habits: accurate record-keeping and comfort working to established SOPs., • A genuine desire to be in the lab: hands-on, rigorous, and happy for the majority of your time to be at the bench., • Good interpersonal and communication skills: appropriate for a small, integrated team where cross-domain conversation happens daily, and the confidence to ask questions and raise issues early., • Motivation to excel in a fast-moving environment: comfortable with shifting priorities and the pace of an early-stage discovery pipeline. Additional Experience Welcomed Not required, but candidates with one or more of the following will be at an advantage: • Experience supporting high-throughput or automated screening: plate-based workflows, liquid handlers, or working at scale in 96/384-well format., • Experience in creating and maintaining transient or stable cell lines, • Familiarity with flow cytometry, qPCR, or basic cell-based assays., • Experience in an industry drug discovery environment, or with biologics (e.g., antibodies, bispecifics, fusion proteins, etc.)., • Experience with electronic lab notebooks and sample/inventory management systems. Cultural Profile At Divergence Labs, our culture is built on a foundation of intellectual honesty, independence of thought, and a relentless commitment to excellence. We believe in fostering a collaborative environment where every team member feels empowered to contribute and grow. We are looking for individuals who embody the following characteristics and can fit in with a high-performing team of drug hunters, investors, engineers, and machine learning researchers: • Intellectual Honesty: We value candid and open discussion. Our team admits when wrong, advocates when right, and never shies away from constructive feedback., • Bias for Action: We take initiative and ownership of our work, actively seeking out new ideas, and taking well-researched and smart risks., • Team First Attitude: We win as a team and lose as a team. There are "no egos" at Divergence Labs, and we understand great ideas can come from anywhere., • Independence of Thought: We think critically and challenge assumptions. When it suits us, we develop hypotheses that may run counter to consensus, "zigging while others are zagging.", • Resilience: Drug development is a tough sport. We persevere in the face of challenge., • Embrace the Unfamiliar: We are humbled and excited by how much there is left to learn. Next Steps Interested candidates can reach out to careers@divergencelabs.com with their resume and two to three sentences expressing their interest. Divergence Labs is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

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