Senior Research Associate - High-Throughput Antibody Expression

Prellis Biologics, Inc.; Berkeley, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

Prellis Biologics, Inc. is seeking a Senior Research Associate to advance high-throughput antibody expression and automation within a fast-paced discovery environment.

You will execute expression workflows, purifications, and biophysical analyses to enable antibody discovery, while driving platform automation and cross-functional collaboration. The role requires hands-on experience with protein expression, cell culture, and automated liquid handlers, plus a strong drive to innovate and optimize

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Immunology, or related field with equivalent industry experience.
• Strong molecular and cell biology fundamentals, including transformation, transfection, cell culture, cloning, plasmid design and generation, and basic DNA/protein characterization/QC.
• Strong experience with automated liquid handlers (Biomek, KingFisher, Tecan, or similar), or willingness to become proficient.
• Hands-on experience with protein or/and antibody expression, purification, and biophysical characterization (e.g. LCMS, CE-SDS, Tm, Tagg).
• Genuine curiosity for innovation and R&D: motivated to develop, troubleshoot, and evolve new workflows.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to collaborate effectively across teams and functions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Keen to grow skillsets and continuously learn new techniques.

Responsibilities

• Execute high throughput protein expression workflows, including cell culture and maintenance, transfection, purification, buffer exchange, spectrophotometry, and contribute to QC/characterization (e.g. LCMS, CE-SDS, Tm, Tagg) to support antibody discovery.
• Build and run end to end automation pipelines on liquid handlers (Biomek, KingFisher, or similar) to scale throughput across protein expression and molecular biology workflows.
• Contribute to technology innovation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of our protein expression and molecular discovery platforms.
• Collaborate with Data Science team on data visualization and reporting.
• Maintain accurate ELN documentation and communicate results clearly across teams.
• Interface with external vendors and CROs (e.g., gene/protein synthesis or other related services) to support antibody discovery workflows.
• Support cross-functional collaboration across therapeutic programs and technology initiatives.

Skills

Molecular biology

Cell biology

Transfection

Protein expression

Biophysical characterization

Automation tooling

Team collaboration

Education

BS or MS in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry/Genetics/Immunology

Tools

Biomek

KingFisher

Tecan

Job description

Senior Research Associate - High-Throughput Antibody Expression

Contract

Research

About the job

The heart of Prellis Bio’s strategy is the combination of novel, cutting-edge methods in machine learning, biology at scale, and next-gen antibody discovery that address long-standing industry-wide problems in the drug development pipeline. Prellis Biologics uses proprietary technology to 3D print human lymph node organoids, enabling the rapid & diverse discovery of human antibody therapeutic candidates for a range of applications. To drive this forward, we are assembling an incredible team of discovery biologists, computational scientists, and protein scientists who want to make a difference to this important problem.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior Research Associate - High-Throughput Antibody Expression to join our dynamic team. You will execute and evolve our state-of-the-art protein expression, synthetic biology, and end-to-end automation pipelines that fuel antibody discovery. You will be responsible for:

• Executing HTP antibody expression and characterization workflows — including mammalian cell culture, transfection, antibody purification, biophysical characterizations — to enable antibody discovery.
• Driving automation and platform innovation — developing and scaling end to end automation pipelines and contributing to continuous improvement of our discovery workflows.

This role sits within a highly cross-functional High Throughput Discovery group, with significant opportunities to grow and take on new responsibilities. The ideal candidate is hands-on, curious, and driven to innovate — thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced environment while playing a critical role in delivering life-changing therapeutics.

Responsibilities

• Execute high throughput protein expression workflows, including cell culture and maintenance, transfection, purification, buffer exchange, spectrophotometry, and contribute to QC/characterization (e.g. LCMS, CE-SDS, Tm, Tagg) to support antibody discovery.
• Build and run end to end automation pipelines on liquid handlers (Biomek, KingFisher, or similar) to scale throughput across protein expression and molecular biology workflows.
• Contribute to technology innovation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of our protein expression and molecular discovery platforms.
• Collaborate with Data Science team on data visualization and reporting.
• Maintain accurate ELN documentation and communicate results clearly across teams.
• Interface with external vendors and CROs (e.g., gene/protein synthesis or other related services) to support antibody discovery workflows.
• Support cross-functional collaboration across therapeutic programs and technology initiatives.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Immunology, or related field with equivalent industry experience: Sr. Research Associate (BS + 3-5 yrs, or MS + 0-2 yrs).
• Strong molecular and cell biology fundamentals, including transformation, transfection, cell culture, cloning, plasmid design and generation, and basic DNA/protein characterization/QC.
• Strong experience with automated liquid handlers (Biomek, KingFisher, Tecan, or similar), or willingness to become proficient.
• Hands-on experience with protein or/and antibody expression, purification, and biophysical characterization (e.g. LCMS, CE-SDS, Tm, Tagg).
• Genuine curiosity for innovation and R&D: motivated to develop, troubleshoot, and evolve new workflows.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to collaborate effectively across teams and functions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Keen to grow skillsets and continuously learn new techniques.

Bonus Experience

• Working knowledge of B cell immunology or antibody biology.
• Programming or method development on automated liquid handlers (Biomek Method Editor, KingFisher scripts, Tecan, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with high-throughput protein or/and antibody expression workflows using liquid-handling automation.
• Hands-on experience scaling up or/and optimization antibody expression workflows.
• Meticulous attention-to-detail in experimental execution and documentation.
• Prior industry experience in an antibody discovery pipeline.

About Prellis Biologics

At Prellis we integrate human biology with machine learning. We aim to revolutionize drug discovery by harnessing the power of the human immune system with tightly integrated machine learning to develop next-generation antibody therapeutics with unparalleled speed, precision, and safety. We are committed to empowering our pharmaceutical partners with access to the most promising fully human antibody candidates rapidly identified from the human immune repertoire, enabling them to bring life-changing treatments to patients faster than ever before. Prellis Biologics is a pre-IPO biotech located in Berkeley, CA with a team-oriented, inclusive, and family-friendly culture. Our growing pipeline targets high unmet patient needs across therapeutic areas including metabolic disease, inflammation, and oncology. Prellis has raised funding from top investors, including Celesta, Khosla Ventures, SOSV, and Avidity Partners.

Application Deadline

Prellis does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

Prellis Bio is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be at the foundation of our culture. We work hard to bring together diverse teams - grounded in a wide range of expertise and life experiences - and work even harder to ensure those teams thrive in inclusive, growth-oriented environments supported by equitable company and team practices. All candidates can expect equitable treatment, respect, and fairness throughout the interview process.

What you can expect of us

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well-being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way.

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

$77,000 - $104,000