Molecular Design & DNA Nanotechnology Lead

Astera Institute; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Astera Institute in Emeryville, CA is seeking a Molecular Design & DNA Nanotechnology Lead to design a DNA-origami electrostatic actuator and oversee its wet-lab fabrication, with the role reporting to the project lead.

You will lead folding, simulation, and site-specific chemistry, collaborate with device-physics and computational teams, and drive a small interdisciplinary founding team toward functional nanoscale devices. This is a full-time on-site position.

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field with demonstrated DNA-origami design and folding experience.
• Proficiency with DNA-nanostructure design tools and coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulation.
• Hands-on wet-lab command of folding, gel and AFM quality control, and purification.
• A track record of taking nanoscale structures from design through to characterized, functional devices.
• Ability to lead a small interdisciplinary team and communicate across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Design the DNA-origami actuator mechanism—the drive plate, force-transmitting structure, and amplification linkage—to achieve sub-200-nanometer output.
• Use coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulations (e.g., oxDNA) to predict mechanical behavior and iterate designs.
• Fold and optimize DNA origami in wet lab conditions and design site-specific chemistry for device surfaces.
• Own folding yield and quality control; prepare structures for AFM, cryo-EM, and single-molecule fluorescence characterization.
• Lead a small interdisciplinary founding team and collaborate with device-physics, controls, and computational colleagues.

Skills

DNA origami design

Wet-lab workflow

Team leadership

Cross-disciplinary communication

Education

PhD in structural DNA nanotechnology or related field

Tools

caDNAno

oxDNA

Job description

About Astera

Astera is a private foundation on a mission to steer science and technology toward an abundant future. We believe the coming years will bring an era of unprecedented scientific and technological advancement as exponential progress in AI converges with central advances in other fields to dramatically accelerate innovation. This inflection point provides an unparalleled opportunity to fundamentally rethink the institutions, systems, and tools that drive scientific progress.

Unlike traditional non-profit research organizations, projects supported by Astera operate like high-velocity startups, allowing us to focus on ambitious goals, match structure to problem, and attract strong technical talent and leadership. You can read more about our mission, vision, and programming here.

Position Summary

The Astera Institute is seeking a Molecular Design & DNA Nanotechnology Lead to lead the design and wet-lab fabrication of a DNA-origami electrostatic actuator — a charged origami plate/polymer/electrode stack that, driven by an applied field, produces controlled nanometer-scale motion through a force-transmitting linkage. This position reports to Dr. Jeremy Barton (Astera Institute Resident, Project Lead). This is a full-time position.

Responsibilities

• Design the DNA-origami actuator mechanism — the charged drive plate, the force-transmitting structure, and the amplifying lever or four-bar linkage — that turns a small electrostatic deflection of the plate into a larger, controlled output displacement within a sub-200-nanometer footprint.
• Use coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulation (e.g., oxDNA) to predict the mechanism's mechanical behavior — stiffness, compliance, and thermal stability of its motion — and iterate the design.
• Fold and optimize the DNA origami in the wet lab (annealing, buffer, and magnesium conditions), and design the site-specific chemistry that anchors the plate and mechanism to the device surface.
• Own folding yield and quality control, and prepare structures for characterization by atomic-force microscopy (AFM), cryo-electron microscopy, and single-molecule fluorescence.
• Lead a small, interdisciplinary founding team and collaborate closely with device-physics, controls, and computational colleagues.

Qualifications and Experience

• PhD in structural DNA nanotechnology, biophysics, bioengineering, chemistry, or a related field, with demonstrated DNA-origami design and folding experience.
• Proficiency with DNA-nanostructure design tools and coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulation (e.g., caDNAno, oxDNA).
• Hands-on wet-lab command of folding, gel and AFM quality control, and purification.
• A track record of taking nanoscale structures from design through to characterized, functional devices.
• Ability to lead a small interdisciplinary team and communicate across disciplines.

Location

This position is on site at our office in Emeryville, CA. Some travel may be required from time-to-time for in-person collaboration and work.

Compensation

The posted salary range is based on location in the Bay Area. The successful candidate will receive a competitive compensation package, commensurate with their experience and location.

• See the Benefits Summary.

Cultural Alignment

• Bias to action – you launch and iterate on thoughtful experiments rather than waiting for perfect plans, and you're energized by novel problems.
• Flexible by default – you don't draw hard lines around your job description and expect your role to evolve significantly over 6–12 months.
• High standards, internally driven – you hold yourself to the bar of building world-class public goods without benchmarking against others.
• Operate with the highest levels of integrity, judgment, and stewardship – you treat residents, peers, and vendors with genuine respect for their time and contributions.
• Embrace the tools that define great work today – Astera is building for an AI-driven future and equips the team accordingly; we see these as genuine force multipliers, not optional extras.