Remote | Molecular Biologist - $65-$100/hour We are sharing a specialised part-time to full-time consulting opportunity for experienced molecular biology professionals with advanced expertise in nucleic-acid sequence design, construct engineering, and experimental molecular biology. This role supports an advanced generative AI initiative focused on improving foundational models through expert molecular biology knowledge. Selected professionals will design challenging technical tasks, develop expert-quality reference solutions, evaluate AI-generated outputs, and create rigorous assessment frameworks across DNA and RNA sequence design workflows. Key Responsibilities Molecular Biology Task Development • Design challenging, domain-relevant molecular biology tasks for advanced AI systems • Develop problems involving primers for PCR, qPCR, and cloning workflows • Create tasks covering plasmids, expression vectors, gRNA/sgRNA design, mRNA constructs, and HDR or repair templates • Produce accurate, well-documented expert solutions that can serve as reference standards Nucleic-Acid & Construct Design • Apply hands-on expertise in DNA and RNA sequence design • Evaluate guide and target selection for CRISPR-based workflows • Assess primer melting temperature, specificity, and sequence suitability • Review homology-arm design, codon optimisation, and regulatory elements • Incorporate appropriate cloning strategies including Gibson, Golden Gate, Gateway, and restriction-based approaches AI Model Evaluation • Review AI-generated molecular biology solutions against expert-quality reference work • Assess technical correctness, biological reasoning, rigour, and completeness • Identify errors involving sequence design, experimental assumptions, construct architecture, or molecular biology methodology • Provide clear written feedback explaining technical strengths, weaknesses, and required corrections • Help research and engineering teams identify recurring knowledge gaps in model performance Rubric & Evaluation Framework Development • Develop detailed rubrics for molecular biology and sequence-design tasks • Define criteria for evaluating primers, guides, constructs, regulatory elements, and cloning strategies • Establish consistent standards for judging biological correctness and experimental feasibility • Collaborate with other subject-matter experts to maintain consistency across training and evaluation data Ideal Profile Strong candidates may have: • An advanced degree in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, synthetic biology, bioengineering, or a closely related life-science discipline • A PhD or comparable research-level expertise • Hands-on experience designing nucleic-acid constructs prior to experimental work • Practical experience across several areas including primers, plasmids or vectors, gRNA/sgRNA, mRNA constructs, and HDR or repair templates • Experience with cloning strategies such as Gibson, Golden Gate, Gateway, or restriction cloning • Strong knowledge of codon optimisation and sequence-design principles • A strong peer-reviewed publication record, particularly first-author research • Evidence of meaningful professional or research career progression • Strong written communication and the ability to justify technical design choices clearly • Availability for at least 20 hours per week during weekdays Educational Background • An advanced degree in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, synthetic biology, bioengineering, or a related life-science field is expected • PhD-level training is strongly preferred • Candidates should combine strong academic foundations with substantial practical molecular biology experience • Relevant peer-reviewed publications should be included with the application where available Nice to Have • First-author publications in recognised molecular biology, genetics, synthetic biology, or related journals • Experience with CRISPR guide design and genome-editing workflows • Advanced plasmid or expression-vector design experience • Expertise in mRNA or other RNA construct engineering • Experience designing HDR or other repair templates • Familiarity with regulatory elements and expression optimisation • Previous AI training, model evaluation, or data annotation experience • Experience developing scientific rubrics, technical assessments, or structured research evaluation frameworks Why This Opportunity • Apply advanced molecular biology expertise to foundational AI research • Work across DNA and RNA sequence design, construct engineering, and experimental biology • Develop challenging technical tasks grounded in real molecular biology workflows • Help improve the biological reasoning and technical accuracy of advanced AI models • Collaborate with other scientific subject-matter experts on high-impact evaluation work • Contribute between approximately 20 and 40 hours per week depending on project needs and availability Contract Details • Part-time to full-time contingent employment opportunity • Fully remote • Expected commitment of at least 20 hours per week, with potential availability up to approximately 40 hours per week • Weekday availability is required • Competitive rates between $65-$100 per hour depending on expertise and project scope • Work may include molecular biology task development, reference-solution writing, sequence-design evaluation, rubric creation, and AI output review • Engagement duration and workload may vary depending on project requirements