Molecular Biologist – AI Trainer (Remote Contract)

About the role

Mercor is seeking a Molecular Biologist to support AI‑driven drug discovery by curating and validating protein target data. This remote contract position offers flexible hours and the opportunity to work directly with primary scientific literature and databases.

Key responsibilities

• Search papers, patents and other primary sources to verify protein target assignments against UniProt records.
• Flag and classify assignment errors using a structured taxonomy.
• Propose corrected UniProt accessions where needed to improve database reliability.
• Write concise, evidence‑based notes that explain reasoning for AI pipeline training.
• Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines and maintain data integrity.

Required profile

• 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.
• Hands‑on experience with binding or functional assays (e.g., SPR, TR‑FRET, radioligand binding, kinase assays, GPCR functional assays, IC50/Ki/KD).
• Currently bench‑active in a research, scientist, or associate scientist role.
• Fluency with UniProt workflows and related activities such as SAR support, HTS, target validation, or biochemical profiling.
• Preferred experience with ChEMBL, BindingDB, PubChem, selectivity profiling, or counterscreening.

Required skills

• UniProt
• ChEMBL
• BindingDB
• PubChem
• Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)
• TR‑FRET
• Radioligand binding assays
• Kinase assays
• GPCR functional assays
• IC50, Ki, KD determination

What we offer

• Compensation $50–$70 per hour (USD)
• Contract (10–20 hours/week)
• Remote work
• Initial duration 1–2 months with high likelihood of extension