--- title: 'Research Associate or Associate Scientist, Genome Engineer at Conception' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/research-associate-or-associate-scientist-genome-engineer-conception-berkeley-y8tgtsrjrfpj' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-15' --- # Research Associate or Associate Scientist, Genome Engineer at Conception - **Company:** Conception - **Location:** Berkeley, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2026-06-29 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Conception/48c18dd2-eb46-47a4-ada2-e1ca314d1442/application **Skills:** Mammalian cell culture, Cell engineering, CRISPR genome engineering, Knock-out line generation, Knock-in line generation, Reporter line generation, DNA delivery, Plasmid transfection, Viral transduction, PiggyBac, Sleeping Beauty, Lentiviral systems, PCR, Genotyping, Sequencing, Flow cytometry, Imaging, qPCR, Reporter assays, Immunostaining > The Research Associate or Associate Scientist will build engineered cell lines and develop DNA-integrating expression systems to enhance Conception's differentiation platform. The role involves designing, validating, and optimizing CRISPR-based genome engineering approaches for mammalian cell engineering and stem ce... ## Job description Experience level: Master’s degree or PhD. ## About Conception Conception is pioneering the future of reproductive biology by generating functional human eggs from induced pluripotent stem cells. Our mission is to unlock new possibilities for fertility, reproductive health, and genetic diversity. We are building a world-class team at the intersection of stem cell biology, developmental biology, and synthetic biology to make this vision a reality. The position - We are seeking a highly organized, rigorous, and hands-on Research Associate or Associate Scientist with strong experience in genome and cell engineering to help build tools that enhance Conception’s differentiation platform. In this role, you will generate engineered cell lines, including reporter lines, knock-out and knock-in lines, and overexpression lines to enable better tracking, control, and optimization of differentiation systems. - This position sits at the intersection of genome engineering, stem cell biology, assay development, and differentiation platform development. You will be responsible for designing, building and validating robust engineered cell systems using CRISPR-based approaches, DNA-integrating expression systems, and constitutive or inducible transgene expression platforms. The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience with mammalian cell engineering, tissue culture, careful clonal line generation, molecular validation, and expression tracking, and is excited to apply these tools to complex differentiation systems. ## What you’ll do - Build engineered cell lines to support Conception’s differentiation platform, including reporter lines, knock-out lines, knock-in lines, and overexpression lines. - Use CRISPR-based genome engineering approaches to design, generate, screen, and validate edited cell lines. - Develop DNA-integrating expression systems for constitutive and inducible transgene expression during differentiation. - Optimize workflows for transfection, transduction, selection, clonal isolation, expansion, genotyping, and expression validation. Build assays to track reporter activity, transgene expression, silencing, differentiation state, and biological outcomes. - Support differentiation experiments using engineered lines to monitor and improve cell fate transitions. Collaborate across differentiation, organoid, cell engineering, and computational teams. ## What we’re looking for Required - Master’s degree or PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Bioengineering, Genetics, Synthetic Biology, Developmental Biology, or a related field, or equivalent experience. - Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and cell engineering workflows. - Experience with CRISPR genome engineering, including knock-out, knock-in, or reporter line generation. Experience designing, generating, screening, and validating engineered cell lines using molecular and functional assays. - Experience with DNA delivery or integrating expression systems such as plasmid transfection, viral transduction, PiggyBac, Sleeping Beauty, lentiviral systems, or related approaches. - Experience with standard validation and readout assays such as PCR, genotyping, sequencing, flow cytometry, imaging, qPCR, reporter assays, or immunostaining. - Strong experimental execution, troubleshooting, documentation, organization, and data interpretation skills. ## Preferred - Experience with iPSCs, ESCs, primary cells, differentiating cells. - Experience building reporter lines to track gene expression, cell state, or differentiation. - Experience with inducible expression systems, constitutive expression systems, promoter testing, or transgene expression optimization. - Experience assessing or troubleshooting transgene silencing during extended culture or differentiation. - Experience with CRISPRa, CRISPRi, dCas9-based systems, or other gene modulation approaches. - Familiarity with stem cell differentiation, developmental biology, reproductive biology, germ cell development, ovarian biology, or organoid systems. Come and work with us We are well funded and well connected in Silicon Valley. We offer competitive pay, company equity, and excellent healthcare benefits for these positions. ‍ To learn more about the original mouse proof of concept to live birth that inspired us, see https://www.nature.com/articles/nature20104 ## 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/Associate Scientist, Stem Cell Biology](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-associate-associate-scientist-stem-cell-biology-conception-6nkjfrjsjksc) — 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