Evolutionary Cell Biology Fellow

We are Arcadia Science, an evolutionary biology company founded and led by scientists. Our mission is to turn natural innovations into real-world solutions by developing systematic and quantitative approaches to leveraging biology for therapeutics R&D. We share our research as openly as possible to accelerate discovery and make our work broadly useful.

The Opportunity

We’re closing the gap between biological data and biological understanding. Our Validation team does this by closing the design–build–test–learn loop through lab validation across diverse organisms. Read more about our work through our publications .

We are seeking an Evolutionary Cell Biology Fellow to join our Validation team for a 3-month fellowship. This is an ideal opportunity for scientists who recently completed their PhDs, or are in the final stages of their postdoc training.

Evolutionary Cell Biology Fellows will generate phenotypic and genotypic data to compare cellular features across organisms. Because we use evolution to select the best organism to study each biological question, fellows will work with diverse, often non-traditional organisms and cell types. Fellows will contribute to a defined project with the goal of publishing their work openly by the end of the fellowship.

Areas of Focus

We are looking for candidates with expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Cell-based or organism-based assay development and optimization
• Live cell imaging, high-content screening, or other high-dimensional phenotyping approaches
• Diverse cellular organism and system development and/or utilization (including non-model organisms)
• Molecular biology techniques (cloning, transformation, PCR, genetic manipulation, protein detection)
• Protocol development and adaptation for new organisms or cell types
• Comparative analysis between species driven by evolutionary information
• Quantitative approaches to phenotypic measurement

What You’ll Do

• Develop, adapt, and optimize experimental workflows for gathering phenotypic data across diverse cellular and organismal systems
• Validate platform tools and test predictions using cell-based or organism-based assays
• Troubleshoot experimental challenges independently and creatively
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to contribute to shared research goals
• Keep detailed experimental records and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Publish results openly by the end of the fellowship

Qualifications

• PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field
• Demonstrated hands‑on expertise in cell or organism‑based assay development
• Proficiency with core cell biology tools and techniques
• Comfort with core molecular biology tools and techniques
• Comfort working with diverse cellular organisms and systems
• Familiarity with data analysis using Python or R is preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Compensation

Fellows will receive a competitive monthly stipend. Travel and relocation support is available for candidates relocating temporarily to the Bay Area.

What We Look For

The first thing we look for is technical talent at the leading edge of a field. To us, this means independent and generative scientists doing basic research that has the potential to produce evidence challenging standard practices. This is true for all of our roles: whether someone is an individual contributor or a people manager, we want researchers pushing their field forward.

We're looking for hands‑on, inventive scientists with deep experience in cell biology and a strong interest in using biological diversity as a tool for discovery. The ideal candidate is energized by exploring new biology, skilled at troubleshooting, and excited to work in a collaborative, open research environment.

We try to develop novel approaches for every aspect of our science, and everyone on our team is expected to innovate in their domain. This is not easy, and won't be for everyone. We believe a culture where this is possible stems from how we act.

Location

This fellowship is on‑site at our Emeryville, California lab and office for the full 3‑month duration. For qualified candidates, we are willing and able to sponsor visas and provide a travel/relocation stipend if needed.

Arcadia is an equal opportunity workplace; we welcome people from all backgrounds and communities. We provide competitive compensation and practical benefits to keep you happy and healthy so that you can do your best work.