---
title: 'Intern, Computational Research at Profluent'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/intern-computational-research-profluent-emeryville-6yfqayz8phk6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Intern, Computational Research at Profluent

- **Company:** Profluent
- **Location:** Emeryville, CA
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/profluent/jobs/5441954008

## Job description

Profluent is the frontier AI lab for biology. Profluent builds powerful foundation models for all of life's molecules, unlocking solutions that transform medicine, agriculture, and beyond. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Emeryville, CA, Profluent is backed by leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Bezos Expeditions, Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, and Convergent Ventures and has raised over $150M to date.

Our generative models learn the blueprint of life by modeling large-scale evolutionary data, enabling us to engineer and write biology in unprecedented ways. We are seeking a passionate Computational Research Intern to join moonshot projects at the intersection of bioinformatics and machine learning.

This is a rare opportunity to tackle open-ended scientific and engineering challenges with direct potential for high-impact publications and real-world applications in synthetic biology and protein engineering.

## Responsibilities

- Design and implement computational approaches to advance cutting-edge research in bioinformatics and machine learning
- Analyze large-scale genomic and protein datasets to uncover new biological insights and capabilities
- Collaborate closely with scientists and engineers across machine learning, protein engineering, and biology teams
- Document and present research findings internally, with the potential to publish in leading journals and conferences

## Qualifications

- Enrolled in a BS, MS, or PhD program in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field
- Strong programming skills in Python and familiarity with scientific computing libraries (e.g., NumPy, pandas, Jupyter)
- Experience in one or more of the following: machine learning, large-scale data analysis, genomics, or protein bioinformatics
- Excellent problem-solving skills, scientific curiosity, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Internship Details

- Typical duration: 12 weeks, with flexible start dates
- Hybrid: 2–3 days on-site per week in our Emeryville, CA headquarters
- Opportunity to publish your work and make a lasting impact in computational biology and AI-driven protein design

## What We Offer at Profluent

- Work on moonshot projects at the frontier of AI and biology
- Mentorship from leading experts in bioinformatics, machine learning, and synthetic biology
- A dynamic, mission-driven environment with the resources of a fast-growing, well-funded startup
- Competitive internship compensation

NOTICE TO STAFFING AND SEARCH FIRMS: Profluent does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions. We ask that agencies refrain from sending resumes to our careers inbox, hiring managers, or any Profluent employee. Any resume submitted without a signed agreement and an active search request from our Talent team will be treated as the property of Profluent, and no placement fee will be owed.

## About Profluent

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Profluent is an AI-first protein design company that develops deep generative models to design and validate novel, functional proteins for biomedicine, agriculture, and other industries.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B; total funding $150M)
- **Headquarters**: Emeryville, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Ali Madani (CEO), Alexander Meeske

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, Genetic Medicine
- **Target customers**: B2B – pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, agricultural companies, and research institutions
- **Mission statement**: "Decode the language of life with AI" – using AI to author new biology and create solutions that transform medicine, agriculture, and beyond.

## Products & Services
- **OpenCRISPR**: The world's first AI-designed gene editor, made open-source to accelerate genome editing research. Based on a novel nuclease generated by Profluent's generative AI.
- **AI Protein Design Platform**: A proprietary platform that writes proteins from scratch or by reimagining natural scaffolds, enabling rapid design of proteins for therapeutic, industrial, and agricultural applications.
- **Partnerships (e.g., Eli Lilly)**: Collaborations to develop AI-designed recombinases for genetic medicine, with deal value up to $2.25 billion.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly available
- **Key Metric (Total Funding)**: $150M raised across multiple rounds (Seed $9M in 2022, Venture Round $35M in 2024, Series B $106M in 2025)
- **Notable Investors**: Altimeter Capital, Bezos Expeditions, Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, Convergent Ventures
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Headcount grew 78.4% YoY (53 employees as of mid-2026)
  - Published generative AI research in Nature (July 2025)
  - Secured a landmark partnership with Eli Lilly (up to $2.25B in milestones)
  - LinkedIn followers grew 67.8% in the past year (11,906 followers)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Pioneering AI-first protein design**: One of the few companies translating large language models (LLMs) to biology, with demonstrated ability to create functional gene editors from scratch.
- **Open-source gene editing**: OpenCRISPR-1 provides a freely available AI-designed nuclease, establishing thought leadership and potential ecosystem lock-in.
- **Cross-disciplinary team**: Combines top ML talent (from Salesforce, Meta, Amazon) with leading biologists (from CRISPR pioneers, UCSF, Harvard, Arc Institute).
- **Published in top journals**: Nature publication validates the scientific rigor of their approach.

## Strategic Focus
- Advance AI-designed recombinases for in vivo gene editing through the Lilly partnership
- Expand platform to design enzymes, antibodies, and industrial proteins
- Continue open-source releases to drive adoption and attract top research talent
- Scale headcount across ML, biology, and bioinformatics functions

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Mission**: Opportunity to work at the frontier of AI and biology, authoring new proteins that can transform medicine and agriculture. Team culture emphasizes curiosity, societal impact, and breakthrough science.
- **Work Policy**: Hybrid – most roles require 2-3 days on-site at the Emeryville, CA headquarters. Some lab-based roles (e.g., in vivo pharmacology, LNP formulation) are fully on-site.
- **Team mix**: Diverse backgrounds spanning ML science, structural biology, software engineering, and drug discovery. Flat structure with direct access to founders and top domain experts.
- **Notable perks**: Backed by top-tier investors; highly collaborative environment; opportunities to publish and release open-source work.
- **Growth trajectory**: Fast-growing company (78% headcount increase in last year) with substantial funding runway and a high-profile pharma partnership, offering strong career progression.

## Sources
1. [profluent.bio](https://www.profluent.bio/)
2. [Greenhouse Jobs at Profluent](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/profluent)
3. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/profluent-bio)
4. [CB Insights Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/profluent-bio)

## Other roles at Profluent

- [Scientist II, Screening](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-ii-screening-profluent-emeryville-w8cwf0b9p33k) — Emeryville, CA
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- [Creative Director](https://feeny.ai/job/creative-director-profluent-emeryville-cv94hk1w8crp) — Emeryville, CA
- [Intern, Software Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-software-engineering-profluent-emeryville-a5w9x433j908) — Emeryville, CA
- [Senior Research Associate - Technology Development](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-associate-technology-development-profluent-emeryville-hqzxycy3vt8b) — Emeryville, CA
- [Senior IT Operations Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-it-operations-engineer-profluent-emeryville-58byesg33whn) — Emeryville, CA
- [Scientist I/Scientist II, tLNP Formulation and Delivery](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-i-scientist-ii-tlnp-formulation-and-delivery-profluent-emeryville-1ybymn72weq1) — Emeryville, CA
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