Scientist - Cell Biology & Phenotypic Screening | Life Sciences

Galatek Life Sciences; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Galatek Life Sciences seeks a Scientist for Cell Biology & Phenotypic Screening to develop cell-based workflows for automated laboratory platforms and AI-driven biology research initiatives.

You will establish our Singapore R&D lab, creating scalable, reproducible systems to study cellular responses to perturbations, and generate multimodal datasets (imaging, assays, molecular profiling) to support AI modeling and virtual-cell concepts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmacology, or a related discipline.
• Preferably 3+ years hands-on experience in experimental cell biology, cellular assay development, or functional screening.
• Strong practical experience in mammalian cell culture, including maintenance, manipulation, characterization, and troubleshooting.
• Hands-on experience with organoid, spheroid, or 3D culture systems; patient-derived organoid experience welcome but not required.
• Experience designing and executing cell-based experiments to assess proliferation, viability, cytotoxicity, differentiation, or other phenotypic endpoints.
• Experience with fluorescence microscopy, immunofluorescence, high-content imaging, flow cytometry, or quantitative cellular analysis.
• Strong understanding of experimental controls, biological variability, and data interpretation.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate across biology, engineering, and computational groups.
• Nice to have: Stem cell biology, high-throughput screening, molecular profiling, and computational data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Establish, maintain, and characterize mammalian cell culture systems for systematic studies.
• Design and execute perturbation screening and functional assays.
• Generate multimodal data with imaging, functional measurements, and molecular profiling.
• Develop standardized, high-throughput workflows with automated lab equipment.
• Collaborate with automation engineers to integrate workflows across platforms.
• Design informative perturbation experiments with appropriate controls and time points.
• Expand capabilities to 3D models like organoids and iPSC-derived cells.
• Collaborate on scientific planning, data interpretation, and publications.
• Support establishment and daily operations of the Singapore R&D lab, including SOPs and biosafety.

Skills

Cell culture

Organoid culture

Functional assays

Imaging & analysis

Experimental design

Data quality

Independent work

Scientific communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmacology, or related field

Tools

Python

R

ImageJ/Fiji

CellProfiler

Job description

Location: one-north, Singapore (on-site)

Business Unit: Life Sciences

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Reporting to: Head of AI for Science (AI4S) R&D (US)

About the Company

Galatek is a Singapore-headquartered deep technology company focused on enabling the next generation of scientific discovery and advanced manufacturing. Combining artificial intelligence, precision engineering, advanced optics, and software platforms, we develop intelligent systems that help organizations operate with greater precision, productivity, and insight.

As science and industry become increasingly interconnected, Galatek is building the intelligent infrastructure that empowers breakthrough discoveries, accelerates industrial progress, and contributes to a more sustainable future. Operating across Asia, Europe, and North America, we partner with customers worldwide to transform complex workflows into intelligent, scalable, and future-ready systems.

About the Role

As a Scientist for Cell Biology & Phenotypic Screening, you will develop and execute cell-based experimental workflows supporting Galatek’s automated laboratory platforms and AI-driven biological research initiatives.

You will help establish our Singapore R&D laboratory and develop scalable, reproducible experimental systems for studying cellular responses to chemical and biological perturbations.

A major focus of this role will be generating high-quality, multimodal biological datasets to support the development and refinement of virtual-cell models. By combining cellular assays, longitudinal high-content imaging, and molecular profiling, you will help establish experimental workflows that connect cellular phenotypes with underlying molecular states.

Working closely with automation engineers, bioinformaticians, and AI researchers, you will help translate conventional laboratory experiments into standardized, high-throughput workflows and contribute to the development of AI-guided experimental platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Cell Biology & Experimental Models: Establish, maintain, and characterize mammalian cell culture systems, including established cell lines, primary cells, and advanced 3D cellular models, for systematic studies of cellular behaviour and responses.
• Perturbation Screening & Functional Assays: Design and execute experiments to characterize cellular responses to chemical and biological perturbations, including drug treatments, dose-response studies, viability, proliferation, cytotoxicity, and other functional endpoints.
• Multimodal Data Generation: Design and coordinate experiments integrating imaging, functional measurements, and molecular profiling, including single-cell RNA sequencing, to generate well-annotated datasets for downstream computational analysis and AI modelling.
• Assay Development & Standardization: Optimize experimental protocols, establish quality control metrics, and minimize technical variability to ensure data reproducibility across biological models, perturbations, and experimental batches.
• Laboratory Automation: Collaborate with automation engineers to adapt manual cell culture and screening protocols into scalable automated workflows integrating liquid handling, incubation, high-content imaging, and other laboratory instruments.
• Experimental Design for AI Research: Work closely with bioinformaticians and AI scientists to design informative perturbation experiments, identify appropriate controls and time points, and support iterative data generation and model evaluation.
• Advanced Cellular Models: Expand experimental capabilities into biologically relevant systems, such as patient-derived organoids, iPSC-derived cells, and co-culture models, to study responses across different cellular contexts.
• Scientific Collaboration: Collaborate with academic and industry partners, contribute to research planning, data interpretation, scientific publications, and technical presentations.
• Laboratory Operations: Support the establishment and daily operations of Galatek’s Singapore R&D laboratory, including SOP development, experimental documentation, biosafety, and laboratory quality management.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmacology, or a related discipline.
• Research Experience: Preferably 3+ years of relevant hands‑on experience in experimental cell biology, cellular assay development, functional screening, or related research, with the ability to work independently.
• Cell Culture Expertise: Strong practical experience in mammalian cell culture, including cell maintenance, experimental manipulation, characterization, and troubleshooting.
• Organoid & 3D Culture: Hands‑on experience with organoid, spheroid, or other 3D mammalian cell culture systems; patient‑derived organoid experience is welcome but not required.
• Functional Assays: Demonstrated experience designing and executing cell‑based experiments to assess cellular responses, such as proliferation, viability, cytotoxicity, differentiation, or other phenotypic endpoints.
• Imaging & Cellular Characterization: Experience with fluorescence microscopy, immunofluorescence, high‑content imaging, flow cytometry, or other quantitative cellular analysis techniques.
• Experimental Design & Data Quality: Strong understanding of experimental controls, biological variability, assay reproducibility, statistical analysis, and interpretation of quantitative biological data.
• Scientific Independence: Ability to independently execute and optimize protocols, troubleshoot experiments, and manage day‑t‑day research activities.
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong scientific communication skills and ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams spanning biology, engineering, and computational research.
• Nice to Have
• Stem Cell Biology: Experience with iPSC culture, differentiation, characterization, or iPSC‑derived disease models.
• High-Throughput Screening: Experience designing or operating medium- to high-throughput cellular screening assays.
• Molecular Profiling: Experience with transcriptomics, single‑cell RNA sequencing, or other molecular profiling technologies.
• Computational Data Analysis: Familiarity with Python, R, ImageJ/Fiji, CellProfiler, or other biological data analysis tools.

Ready to Build What’s Next?

We’re not just designing machines – we’re building the future of autonomous and intelligent science and manufacturing. Join Galatek and help bridge automated biological experimentation with computational analysis and AI-driven discovery.

Galatek is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate different perspectives and believe diversity drives innovation. All employment decisions are made fairly, without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other characteristic that makes each individual unique.