Molecular Biologist

Pilgrim; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Pilgrim is building America's biology prime. Pilgrim seeks a Molecular Biologist to advance ARGUS by developing and refining sample preparation, qPCR, and sequencing methods for robust field detection of environmental samples.

You will design experiments to improve nucleic acid recovery, assay performance, and sequencing quality, translating findings into validated lab protocols. The role involves hands-on wet-lab work, data interpretation, and collaboration with Systems Integration to transfer

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in molecular biology, microbiology, genomics, or related field
• Hands-on experience with nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, sequencing library preparation, and QC
• Advanced wet-lab equipment handling and molecular biology techniques
• Experience writing reproducible protocols and transferring methods across teams

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize sample preparation methods including lysis and nucleic acid extraction
• Develop qPCR assays with controls and inhibition tests
• Optimize sequencing workflows for low-input and complex samples
• Design controlled experiments to measure recovery, detection limits, and repeatability
• Investigate unexpected findings with bioinformatics and compare qPCR vs sequencing results
• Define reagent and handling requirements for validated methods and transfer to ARGUS
• Write and maintain experimental protocols and records

Skills

Molecular biology

Genomics

qPCR

Sequencing

Lab techniques

Education

Master's or PhD in a related field

Job description

Pilgrim is building America's biology prime - engineering, manufacturing, and deploying advanced biotechnology for defense and national security. Our primary platform, ARGUS, is a fully autonomous system for detecting biological threats in near real time, from naturally occurring pathogens to engineered agents.

We engineer hardware for biology, turning breakthrough science into fielded capabilities. Based in Redwood City, our team brings together mechanical and electrical engineering, chemistry, and biology under one roof to deliver critical technologies to the people who need them.

Pilgrim has raised over $30 million to date and is backed by Peter Thiel, Brian Armstrong, Fred Ehrsam, Dylan Field, and Bryan Johnson, alongside Buckley Ventures, Conviction, Cantos, and others.

About the Role:

As a Molecular Biologist at Pilgrim, you'll develop sample preparation, qPCR, and sequencing methods for ARGUS. You'll design and run experiments to improve nucleic acid recovery, assay performance, and sequencing quality in complex environmental and low-input samples. You'll turn those findings into validated protocols for reliable biological detection in the field.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and optimize sample preparation methods, including lysis, nucleic acid extraction, purification, and concentration of environmental samples.
• Develop qPCR assays, including primer and probe selection, assay controls, and tests for inhibition and contamination.
• Optimize sequencing workflows, including library preparation, sequencing, and quality control for low-input and complex samples.
• Design and run controlled experiments to measure recovery, detection limits, specificity, and repeatability across sample types and input levels.
• Investigate unexpected findings with Bioinformatics, including contamination, preparation bias, and discrepancies between qPCR and sequencing results.
• Define reagent and handling requirements for validated methods and support their transfer to ARGUS with Systems Integration.
• Write and maintain protocols and experimental records, including method changes, reagent details, and results.

Qualifications:

• Strong foundation in molecular biology, microbiology, genomics, or a related field. MS or PhD is a plus, not required.
• Hands-on experience with nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, sequencing library preparation, and sequencing quality control.
• Advanced command of standard wet-lab equipment, instrumentation, and molecular biology techniques.
• Experience writing reproducible protocols and transferring methods to other researchers or laboratory teams.

Preferred:

• Experience with low-input or environmental samples, bioaerosols, metagenomics, or nanopore sequencing.

Pilgrim is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Certain positions require access to export-controlled information and are limited to U.S. Persons as defined by applicable export control regulations.