--- title: 'Senior Scientist, RNA Delivery at Conception' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-rna-delivery-conception-berkeley-2jhk55jwq3mw' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-15' --- # Senior Scientist, RNA Delivery 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/3b2d661c-82c4-4f86-b27b-4524f1243e73/application **Skills:** RNA delivery, Mammalian cell culture, LNP delivery, Ligand conjugates, Exosomes, Electroporation, Flow cytometry, Imaging, qPCR, Reporter assays, RNA-seq, Experimental design, Troubleshooting, Data interpretation, iPSCs, ESCs, Primary cells, Differentiating cells, RNA-based differentiation approaches, RNA format design > The Senior Scientist will develop and optimize RNA delivery workflows for payload expression in mammalian cells to enhance Conception's differentiation platform. This role involves building robust, scalable delivery systems, optimizing formulation and chemistry, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to... ## Job description Experience level: PhD or equivalent industry experience. ## 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 at the intersection of stem cell biology, developmental biology, RNA biology, and synthetic biology to make this vision a reality. The position We are seeking a highly creative, rigorous, and hands-on Scientist with deep expertise in RNA delivery to help optimize and enhance Conception’s differentiation platform. This position sits at the intersection of RNA biology, delivery technology, stem cell differentiation, and platform development. You will be responsible for building robust, scalable, and biologically effective delivery workflows that enable us to test and deploy programs across multiple differentiation contexts. ## What you’ll do - Develop RNA delivery workflows for payload expression in different cell types and culture set ups. Apply RNA delivery strategies to improve and accelerate Conception’s differentiation platform. - Optimize RNA format, delivery chemistry and formulation, dose, timing, repeat delivery, expression, viability, and biological activity. - Build assays to measure delivery efficiency, target expression, and differentiation outcomes. Support screening workflows for RNA constructs, genes of interest, delivery conditions, and combinatorial perturbations. - Collaborate across differentiation, cell engineering, and computational teams. ## What we’re looking for Required - PhD or equivalent experience in RNA Biology, Cell Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, Developmental Biology, or a related field. - Hands-on experience delivering RNA into mammalian cells in various formats. - Experience with most up to date RNA delivery technologies (LNPs, ligand conjugates, exosomes, electroporation, etc.) and standard readouts such as flow cytometry, imaging, qPCR, reporter assays, or RNA-seq. - Experience delivering RNA or nanoparticles into complex culture systems. - Experience optimizing delivery parameters such as dose, formulation, timing, repeat dosing, expression duration, toxicity, and biological effect. - Strong experimental design, troubleshooting, documentation, and data interpretation skills. ## Preferred - Experience with iPSCs, ESCs, primary cells, differentiating cells, or other difficult-to-transfect cell types. - Experience using RNA-based differentiation approaches. - Experience with different RNA format design, production, purification, characterization, or delivery. - Experience with medium- or high-throughput screens, ORF libraries, combinatorial perturbations, or barcoded workflows. - Familiarity with scRNA-seq or related single-cell approaches. - Familiarity with 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 - [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, 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