About the role#
This co-op position joins the Nucleic Acid Design team within the Life Science AI group. You will focus on open-ended research questions regarding RNA and DNA sequence modeling. You will own a defined project while receiving mentorship from ML scientists and collaborating with experimental teams to connect your models to real biological data.
What you'll do#
- Lead a scoped research project in nucleic acid sequence modeling or design.
- Build ML models on RNA and DNA sequence-function data.
- Prototype new methods for property prediction, generative design, or candidate selection.
- Investigate model behavior and propose biological hypotheses about why sequences succeed or fail.
- Explore how large reasoning models can drive scientific discovery and sequence design.
- Collaborate with experimental scientists to understand assays and propose experiments that test new ideas.
- Present findings to the team and contribute to research write-ups or external publications.
What you'll need#
- Currently enrolled in an MS or PhD program in machine learning, computational biology, bioengineering, computer science, statistics, or a related quantitative field.
- Hands-on experience building and training ML models.
- Strong Python skills and experience with PyTorch, JAX, or a similar framework.
- Coursework or research experience with biological sequence data, such as DNA or RNA.
- Curiosity about nucleic acid biology, specifically gene regulation, RNA biology, or sequence-to-function relationships.
Location & details#
- This is a full-time, 6-month co-op term.
- The role is based on-site in San Francisco, California.
- This position is paid.
About Lila Sciences
Lila Sciences operates as a scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab. The company focuses on life, chemistry, and materials science. It applies artificial intelligence to the scientific method to assist with research in human health and sustainability. Founded in 2023, the organization maintains its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It currently employs 474 people.
How to get in at Lila Sciences
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