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

Compensation

• Pay: $50 – $70/hour
• Type: Hourly contract
• Location: Remote