--- title: 'Part-Time Research Specimen Driver at Conception' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/part-time-research-specimen-driver-conception-berkeley-71cw9z9yyjet' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Part-Time Research Specimen Driver at Conception - **Company:** Conception - **Location:** Berkeley, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2026-09-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/conception/f0d8882a-5bcc-4dd3-b341-fe4ef0ef9f82 ## Job description ## PART-TIME RESEARCH MATERIALS DRIVER Location: Berkeley, CA Schedule: Approximately 1 morning per week or every other week, typically 7:00–10:00 AM ## About the role We are looking for a reliable student or early career professional to help pick up and transport packaged research materials to our laboratory in Berkeley. The pickup location is approximately 14 miles from Berkeley, with the full trip typically taking around 2 hours. We will provide clear instructions and all necessary materials. This is a simple role, but an important part of our research workflow. We are looking for someone who is dependable, punctual, communicative, and thoughtful about supporting scientific research. Schedule - Approximately one trip per week or every other week - Typically 7:00–10:00 AM - Most likely Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday - We can work around your class schedule to establish a consistent preferred day - Advance notice provided whenever possible ## What you’ll do - Drive from Berkeley to a nearby collection site and back - Pick up packaged research materials - Transport them back to our Berkeley laboratory - Follow straightforward transport and handling instructions - Coordinate with our team on timing and logistics - Communicate promptly if there are delays or scheduling issues ## What we’re looking for - Valid driver’s license - Access to your own reliable vehicle - Dependable and punctual - Responsive and proactive communicator - Comfortable working independently - Thoughtful about and comfortable supporting biological research No laboratory or scientific experience is required. We will provide all necessary training. ## What we offer - Flexible scheduling around your school schedule - Consistent, low-hour part-time work - Competitive hourly compensation - Mileage reimbursement - Opportunity to support cutting-edge reproductive biology research ## About Conception Conception is a biotechnology startup working to generate viable human eggs from induced pluripotent stem cells. Our research could ultimately expand reproductive options for people who cannot otherwise produce viable eggs, including due to age, infertility, genetic disease, or family structure. To apply Please send a short introduction including: - Your background - Your general availability Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings - Confirmation that you have a valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle - Any relevant work experience, particularly roles where reliability, punctuality, or independent work were important - Which of the three potential pickup days would work best with your regular schedule - A sentence or two on what interested you about supporting Conception’s research ## About Conception ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Conception is a biotechnology company developing in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG) technology to create functional human egg cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), aiming to expand reproductive options for people facing biological or medical fertility limits. - **Entity Type**: Private (Seed / Venture-backed) - **Headquarters**: Berkeley, California, United States - **Founded**: 2018 - **Founders**: Matt Krisiloff (CEO), Pablo Hurtado (CSO), Bianka Seres (COO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Biotechnology Research, Reproductive Medicine, Stem Cell Biology - **Target customers**: B2B / B2C (clinical); primarily focused on R&D and regulatory pathways toward eventual clinical application for individuals with fertility challenges (e.g., cancer survivors, age-related infertility, genetic disease carriers, same-sex couples) - **Mission or purpose statement**: "Advancing the future of fertility" — Conception combines stem cell biology and engineering to create new possibilities for having children. ## Products & Services - **In-Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG) Platform**: A proprietary technology platform that converts a patient’s blood or skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), then guides those cells through the stages of development to produce fully mature, functional human eggs. This involves: - **High-throughput genetic screens** to test conditions for cell development. - **Computer vision** for scoring cell quality and enabling rapid iteration. - **3D ovarian organoids** (mini-ovaries) that provide the biochemical cues needed for meiosis and follicle maturation. - **Regulatory & Ethical Framework**: The company is developing IVG as a medical therapy within existing regulatory frameworks, with a stated commitment to rigorous safety and efficacy data before any clinical use. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (conflicting reports on total funding; ~$20M per LinkedIn, ~$40M per NPR). The company is privately held. - **Key Metric**: Total Funding: $20M (LinkedIn) to ~$40M (NPR, 2023). Headcount: 42 employees (+17% YoY). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly named in available sources, but the company has completed a Convertible Note (2019), Seed Round (2020), and a Venture Round (2021) with multiple investors. - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount grew 17% year-over-year (42 employees). - Claims to be the first in the world to create human ovarian follicles in mini-ovaries (as of July 2023). - Active job postings: 3 (as of mid-2025), with a 200% monthly increase in job postings. - Expanding from 30+ scientists to a team of over 40. ## Competitive Advantages - **Pioneering Technology**: Conception is one of the few companies globally (and claims to be the first) to demonstrate the creation of human ovarian follicles from stem cells, a critical step toward functional IVG. - **Interdisciplinary Approach**: Combines stem cell biology, developmental biology, tissue engineering (3D organoids), and computation (high-throughput screening, computer vision) — a rare breadth of expertise. - **Ethical Integration**: From day one, the company has built ethical safeguards into its research and actively engages with regulators, ethicists, and the public, positioning itself responsibly in a controversial field. - **Talent Pool**: R&D team includes experts from top institutions (UC Berkeley, Illumina, UPSIDE Foods, Pfizer, University of Pennsylvania) and top biotech companies. ## Strategic Focus - **Proof-of-Concept Eggs**: Near-term goal is to demonstrate that the follicles in their mini-ovaries can develop immature eggs into ones capable of being fertilized to make embryos (proof-of-concept human eggs). - **Peer-Reviewed Publication**: The company is expected to publish its results in a scientific journal to validate claims and build credibility. - **Regulatory Pathway**: Working within FDA and international regulatory frameworks to ensure safety and efficacy before clinical use. - **Scale & Automation**: Building capabilities to scale the IVG process for eventual commercial application. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-Driven**: Employees work on "one of the most ambitious problems in biology" — creating functional egg cells from stem cells, with the potential to reshape human reproduction and help millions of people. - **World-Class Team**: Join a team of scientists and engineers from top institutions (UC Berkeley, Illumina, UPSIDE Foods, etc.) solving hard problems in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and computation. - **Growth Trajectory**: Rapidly growing startup (42 employees, +17% YoY) with significant funding and a clear, ambitious roadmap. - **Work Environment**: On-site in Berkeley, California (Berkeley, CA 94710). The culture emphasizes "work that outlasts a career" — tackling a long-term, fundamental challenge. - **Notable Perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company offers roles across scientist, senior scientist, associate scientist, and operations levels, indicating a collaborative, hands-on lab environment. ## Sources 1. [conception.bio](https://www.conception.bio/) 2. [LinkedIn - Conception](https://www.linkedin.com/company/conceptionbio) 3. [NPR - Startup aims to make lab-grown human eggs](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/15/1184298351/conception-human-eggs-ivg-ivf-infertility) 4. [LifeScienceHistory.com - Conception Bio](https://lifesciencehistory.com/companies/conception-bio/) 5. [Jobs.ashbyhq.com - Conception](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Conception) ## Other roles at Conception - [Scientist, Stem Cell Biology](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-stem-cell-biology-conception-berkeley-dd1b4mrmhn3z) — Berkeley, CA - [(Senior) Research Associate, Stem Cell Biology](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-associate-stem-cell-biology-conception-berkeley-6nkjfrjsjksc) — Berkeley, CA - [(Senior) Scientist, Stem Cell](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-stem-cell-conception-berkeley-7n00qrvrev2s) — Berkeley, CA - [Research Associate or Associate Scientist, Genome Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/research-associate-or-associate-scientist-genome-engineer-conception-berkeley-y8tgtsrjrfpj) — Berkeley, CA - [Senior Scientist, RNA Delivery](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-rna-delivery-conception-berkeley-2jhk55jwq3mw) — Berkeley, CA - [Senior Scientist, Organoid](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-organoid-conception-berkeley-4gja9rq9v90n) — Berkeley, CA - [General Application](https://feeny.ai/job/general-application-conception-berkeley-1jmfarrzq6hn) — Berkeley, CA