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Biology Research Scientist (BA, MS, PhD's)
About the Role
Mercor is partnering with a leading AI research organization to verify protein target assignments in large-scale bioactivity databases (ChEMBL, BindingDB). You'll read primary literature, apply scientific judgment, and determine whether UniProt IDs accurately reflect the proteins being studied — work that directly feeds AI drug discovery pipelines.
- *What You'll Do**
- Access primary sources (papers, patents) to verify protein target assignments against UniProt records - Flag and classify target assignment errors using a structured taxonomy - Propose correct UniProt accessions where assignments are wrong - Write concise, evidence-grounded notes explaining your reasoning
- *Requirements**
- BA/BS with 5+ years, MS with 2+ years, or PhD with industry or drug discovery research experience, in pharmacology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or chemical biology at a biotech, pharma, or CRO - Hands-on binding or functional assay experience (SPR, TR-FRET, radioligand binding, kinase assays, GPCR functional assays, IC50/Ki/KD) - Currently bench-active in a research, scientist, or associate scientist role - Working fluency with UniProt or adjacent workflows: SAR support, HTS, target validation, biochemical profiling, or IND-enabling studies
- *Nice to Have**
- Direct experience with ChEMBL, BindingDB, or PubChem - Selectivity profiling or counterscreening experience - Familiarity with agonist/antagonist vs. activator/inhibitor distinctions
- *Role Details**
- 10–20 hrs/week | Remote | Immediate start - 1–2 month minimum, extension likely - U.S. only