Research Scientist (Fixed term)

About this role

OVERVIEW

Location: On-site in Cambridge, MA (Central/Kendall)

Dates: 3-6 weeks in November - December. Dates may be flexible.

Schedule: 8 hours/day, Monday–Friday.

Compensation: $65/hour

WORK AT THE FRONTIER OF AI & BIOLOGY

How are today's AI models actually changing biological capabilities in the lab? Active Site is hiring wet-lab scientists for a short-term project over November and December 2026. You will work in our laboratory executing a range of molecular and cell biology tasks in partnership with cutting edge AI tools. Your work will directly shape the protocols, materials, and design of subsequent programs that follow. You should be comfortable working independently at the bench, learning new workflows from protocols, and troubleshooting as you go. This is a fixed-term position with a defined end date.

In this project, you'll work hands-on with a frontier AI-for-science model to independently design and execute experiments in our BSL-2 lab. You’ll generate real-world evidence about what AI-assisted biology looks like today to inform both industry practice and emerging governance.

ABOUT ACTIVE SITE

Active Site is a research nonprofit studying how frontier AI changes what people can accomplish in the physical biology lab by running real-world experiments to measure AI's impact on biological research.

Our recent work includes the largest and longest in-person randomized controlled trial to date examining AI assistance in cell and molecular biology. Active Site's research on AI and biological capabilities has been featured in the Economist https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/05/05/how-ai-tools-could-enable-bioterrorism, and Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01476-x?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email.

If you want to work on questions at the intersection of AI and biology, this is an opportunity to contribute directly to that research.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

You'll independently work on a series of laboratory tasks, including:

- Designing, assembling, and modifying recombinant DNA

- Rescuing and characterizing benign viruses (titration, growth curves, and neutralization)

- Working with frontier AI to design and troubleshoot experiments

You'll have access to our state-of-the-art laboratory and the resources needed to execute your project, but you'll be expected to make your own day-to-day experimental decisions with or without AI rather than rely on in-person technical guidance. You'll work alongside other scientists, but each scientist will independently own their experimental strategy and work.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

The most important qualification is multi-year, hands-on experience working independently in a biological sciences laboratory. This can be in an academic, industry, or start-up environment.

You should hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree in any STEM discipline such as Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Physics. Currently enrolled or graduated PhD students, as well as post-doctoral scientists and above are also welcome to apply.

We're especially interested in people who enjoy troubleshooting experiments, learning quickly, and working independently.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

You should have a minimum of 2 years wet-lab research experience working full time in a biological sciences setting, including across a range of molecular biology and cell biology techniques. Your background should demonstrate experience across the following areas (not all are required):

- Oxford nanopore library prep and sequencing (wet lab)

- Designing and ordering DNA fragments

- PCR and gel electrophoresis

- Site-directed mutagenesis

- Molecular cloning techniques

- Plasmid preparation

- Mammalian cell culture and transfection

- DNA/RNA extraction

- RT-qPCR

- ELISA or other binding assay

- Work with bacteriophage systems

We're looking for someone who is fully independent in the lab and who would feel confident in their abilities to quickly spin up new laboratory workflows for the first time by just reading protocols, trying things out, and iterating. You should be able to look at online protocols, quickly and skillfully carry out a first pass, and reason about what you would try next if things don’t work off-the-bat.

Strong plus, but not required:

We're especially interested in candidates who have specific experience in any virology related field. This could be:

- Running pseudovirus neutralization assays with SARS-CoV-2 variants and antibodies

- Preparing viral vectors such as AAV or lentivirus

- Working with modified virus systems such as minigenomes or virus-like particles

- Traditional live virus growth or characterization assays

If you feel you aren’t quite meeting our criteria but are reasonably close, we encourage you to apply anyway! If you used to be skilled in some of our categories in the past but haven’t worked with this technique for a while, we also encourage you to apply.

KEY DETAILS

Location: On-site in Cambridge, MA (Kendall)

Dates: 3 weeks in November - December. Dates may be flexible.

Schedule: 8 hours/day, Monday–Friday.

Compensation: $65/hour

Term: This is a fixed short-term position and will not convert into full-time employment.

Commute: The lab is accessible from the Red Line. Parking is not provided.

Holidays: Our office observes the following holidays during the project term (Veterans Day November 11th, Thanksgiving Break November 26-27th). Holidays falling during the project term are unpaid.

In-person: Because this is a short, structured research project, we cannot accommodate remote work, alternative daily schedules, or more than five days of pre-planned absence during the term. Make-up days can be arranged for illness.

HIRING PROCESS

We've intentionally kept the process short:

1. Apply via Ashby

2. Paid onsite assessment

3. Offer

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and we expect to move quickly.

WORK…