--- title: '(Senior) Scientist, Stem Cell at Conception' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-stem-cell-conception-berkeley-7n00qrvrev2s' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # (Senior) Scientist, Stem Cell at Conception - **Company:** Conception - **Location:** Berkeley, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2026-06-29 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Conception/21508d77-886d-471f-a0f9-379e09f51a58/application **Skills:** Human pluripotent stem cell culture, Reproductive biology, ESC/iPSC derivation, ESC/iPSC line establishment, Aseptic technique, Stem cell QC, Epigenetic quality readouts, 3D culture, Organoid culture, Co-culture systems, Microdissection, Micromanipulation, Long-duration tissue and cell culture workflows > Conception is seeking a Senior Scientist to support its pluripotent stem cell program by deriving, expanding, and characterizing iPSC and ESC lines. The role involves executing technically demanding workflows, establishing QC readouts, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to advance reproductive biology res... ## Job description Experience level: PhD plus postdoctoral training or equivalent industry experience (typically 4+ years post-PhD for senior level). ## 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, and reproductive biology to make this vision a reality. The position We are seeking an extremely hard-working, highly skilled, hands-on scientist or scientific specialist to support our pluripotent stem cell program. This is a technical specialist role for someone who wants to be in the lab doing difficult, delicate, high-impact work. Ideally, you have direct experience deriving, establishing, expanding, banking, and characterizing pluripotent stem cell lines. We are looking for a rigorous bench scientist who is excited to execute, troubleshoot, repeat, improve, and master technically demanding workflows. The right person will be flexible in focus, willing to learn new techniques, and motivated to contribute wherever the lab needs them most. Experience with QC readout establishment, stem cell differentiation, 3D culture, or related reproductive biology techniques is highly valuable. Title is negotiable based on experience and may range from Scientific Specialist to Senior Scientist. ## What you’ll do - Build, optimize, and repeatedly execute workflows needed for stem-cell-derived reproductive cell development - Derive, establish, expand, bank, and characterize iPSC & ESC lines - Maintain high-quality ESC/iPSC cultures, document passage history and culture conditions, and support characterization and QC assays - Troubleshoot protocols, improve reproducibility, and help maintain consistency across difficult and delicate workflows - Establish epigenetic quality readouts - Collaborate closely with stem cell, reproductive biology, embryology, genomics, and preclinical teams - Execute technically demanding workflows with precision, timing, repetition, and consistency ## What we’re looking for - PhD in stem cell biology, developmental biology, reproductive biology, cell biology, embryology, bioengineering, or a related field - Ideally 4+ years of hands-on experience with human pluripotent stem cell culture, reproductive biology, or related technical workflows - Direct experience with ESC/iPSC derivation, or ESC/iPSC line establishment is especially valuable - Strong aseptic technique and experience maintaining sensitive, high-value cell lines - Excellent attention to detail, reliability, and comfort with difficult, repetitive protocols that require precision and consistency - Hands-on experience with ESC/iPSC expansion and banking, stem cell QC, 3D culture, organoid culture, co-culture systems, microdissection, micromanipulation, or long-duration tissue and cell culture workflows is highly desirable - Strong work ethic and team-first mindset. Willing to do hands-on work, including routine and repetitive tasks, and step in wherever needed - Able to thrive in a high-intensity, fast-paced, flexible startup environment ## 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 - [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 - [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