--- title: '(Senior) Research Associate, Stem Cell Biology at Conception' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-associate-stem-cell-biology-conception-berkeley-6nkjfrjsjksc' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # (Senior) Research Associate, Stem Cell Biology at Conception - **Company:** Conception - **Location:** Berkeley, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2026-08-13 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Conception/243de632-67aa-4afb-91a4-5cb24ec2e3e7/application **Skills:** Human pluripotent stem cell culture, Reproductive biology, Aseptic technique, ESC/iPSC derivation, ESC/iPSC line establishment, Stem cell QC, 3D culture, Organoid culture, Co-culture systems, Microdissection, Micromanipulation, Long-duration tissue and cell culture workflows > Conception seeks a hands-on scientist to support its pluripotent stem cell program by deriving, expanding, and characterizing iPSC and ESC lines. The role involves executing technically demanding workflows, maintaining high-quality cultures, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to advance reproductive biolo... ## Job description RESEARCH ASSOCIATE / SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, STEM CELL BIOLOGY ## ABOUT CONCEPTION: Conception is pioneering the future of reproductive biology by generating functional human eggs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Our mission is to unlock new possibilities for fertility, reproductive health, and genetic diversity. We are building a world-class team to make this vision a reality. The role: We are seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented junior scientist to support routine pluripotent stem cell culture and foundational preclinical work. This is an excellent opportunity for a junior scientist who follows protocols carefully, learns quickly from senior teammates, and enjoys adding value in the lab. Prior experience with cell culture is critical, with strong sterile technique skills. Direct experience with iPSC/ESC culture is a strong plus but not required. The shifted Tuesday to Saturday schedule availability is critical to our workflows - we offer a salary adjustment for this. What you’ll do: - Culture and maintain our iPSC/ESCs: Uphold rigorous standards for culture quality and standard practice, including practicing sterile technique and following protocols with a close attention to detail. - Support cell banks and iPSC line quality control: Be a central player in making sure our iPSC line quality control is performed accurately and with care for both core and R&D lines, including mycoplasma and sterility testing and preparing samples for whole genome sequencing. - Perform directed differentiations: Perform routine differentiations with care, including cell culture passaging and quality/outcome tracking. Maintain rigorous documentation of culture events within existing frameworks. - Help improve quality control and standard operating procedures: Be a central part of creating new quality control standards and stabilizing operating procedures, including helping to write protocols and ensure implementation in the lab. - Prepare critical reagents: Help organize and perform preparation of media, small molecules, and other cell culture reagents. Experience: - Bachelors degree in biology or a related field - 12+ months of experience with sterile cell culture in an academic or industry setting - Demonstrated ability to follow protocols meticulously, maintain clean cultures, and record data with high integrity - Prior hands-on flow cytometry experience - Positive attitude, team mindset, and excitement to be at the bench Why join us: - Impact: Help build a high-reliability iPSC core that underpins our preclinical pipeline, with the potential to transform human reproduction - Growth: Gain experience with cutting edge stem cell culture methods and QC approaches - 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 ## 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 - [Scientist, Stem Cell Biology](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-stem-cell-biology-conception-berkeley-dd1b4mrmhn3z) — 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