--- title: 'Scientist, Stem Cell Biology at Conception' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-stem-cell-biology-conception-berkeley-dd1b4mrmhn3z' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Scientist, Stem Cell Biology at Conception - **Company:** Conception - **Location:** Berkeley, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2026-08-27 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/conception/ffbb841a-35b5-4f38-b010-39387f95a213 ## Job description Experience level: PhD or equivalent industry experience. Demonstrated independent ownership of complex stem cell workflows and experimental programs. ## About Conception Conception is pioneering the future of reproductive biology by generating functional human eggs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We are bringing together stem cell biology, developmental biology, reproductive biology, genomics, and engineering to solve problems that have not been solved before. For this role, we are looking for someone with deep expertise in pluripotent stem cells. The position We are looking for an excellent, hands-on stem cell scientist with demonstrated experience working with pluripotent stem cells and independently driving complex experimental work. Strong stem cell experience is critical. We are particularly interested in scientists who have worked extensively with human and/or nonhuman primate iPSCs or ESCs, including stem cell derivation or line establishment, expansion, banking, differentiation, and characterization. At the Scientist level, we expect someone to independently own technically complex workflows: design experiments, execute them carefully, troubleshoot when they fail, interpret the resulting data, and determine what to do next. You should be comfortable systematically improving protocols rather than simply following them. Experience taking PSCs through differentiation into specialized cell states is particularly valuable. Experience with QC assay development, epigenetic characterization, 3D culture, reproductive or developmental biology, and computational analysis of genomic readouts is also highly relevant. This is a bench-heavy role. We are looking for someone who likes doing difficult experimental work and is comfortable executing, troubleshooting, repeating, improving, and mastering technically demanding workflows. ## What you’ll do - Build and advance pluripotent stem cell systems that are central to developing stem-cell-derived reproductive cells - Develop and optimize approaches for PSC derivation, differentiation, and cell-state control - Design experiments to understand what drives successful differentiation, cell quality, and developmental progression - Build molecular and epigenetic readouts to characterize cell identity, quality, and function - Use experimental and computational data to uncover what is working, what is failing, and what to try next ## What we’re looking for - PhD or equivalent experience in stem cell biology, developmental biology, reproductive biology, cell biology, bioengineering, or a related field - Strong hands-on pluripotent stem cell experience is required, ideally with human and/or nonhuman primate iPSCs or ESCs - Experience with PSC derivation or line establishment, culture, differentiation, and characterization - Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret experiments - Experience analyzing and interpreting transcriptomic and epigenetic sequencing data is highly desirable, including bulk and/or single-cell datasets - Excellent experimental judgment, attention to detail ## Why join us - Impact: Help build the technical foundation for one of the most ambitious programs in reproductive biology - Ownership: Take responsibility for difficult, high-value workflows and help make them reproducible and scalable - Growth: Develop deep expertise in technically demanding reproductive and stem cell biology methods - Community: Work alongside passionate scientists tackling one of the most exciting frontiers in biology with a deeply aligned team - Mission: Build the biological foundation for a new era of reproductive medicine, expanding what is possible for millions of people and families with limited options today Come and work with us We are well funded and well connected in Silicon Valley. We offer competitive pay, company equity, excellent healthcare benefits, and a collaborative research environment focused on meaningful results. If you are passionate, hardworking, and aligned with our mission, we want to hear from you. To learn more about the original mouse proof of concept to live birth that inspired us, see https://www.nature.com/articles/nature20104 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 - [Part-Time Research Specimen Driver](https://feeny.ai/job/part-time-research-specimen-driver-conception-berkeley-71cw9z9yyjet) — 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