Senior Scientist, R&D

About Us

Basecamp Research is dedicated to solving major challenges in the life sciences by exploring Beyond Known Biology. Our teams build frontier AI models using BaseData, the world's largest ethically-sourced and globally representative biological dataset. Our Global Research Team collects and curates our own biological data through partnerships with more than 152 organisations in 28 countries, giving its AI access to genetic diversity that doesn't exist for models trained on public database sources. This enables Basecamp Research to design novel protein sequences and biological systems that can accelerate therapeutic research and development.

In October 2024 we closed Series B and in January 2026 finalised pre-Series C investment from NVIDIA. With hubs both in London, UK as well as Boston, Massachusetts, USA and partners with biopharma companies and academic institutions worldwide, our work has been recognised with honours including Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Biotech and the FT-backed Sifted AI100 list of Europe's leading AI startups.

At Basecamp Research, we pride ourselves on being a diverse, exciting, fun, and flexible place to work. Our team of biologists, engineers, ML scientists, field explorers, and operations specialists are united by a sense of adventure and the belief that nature has already designed the solutions to our planet's greatest challenges - we just need to go out and discover them! If you feel passionate about the power of biology, data, and AI to build a better world, we'd love to hear from you.

The Role

As we continue to unlock our planet's biodiversity, we are looking for ambitious people with a passion for the development of extraction and sequencing workflows to continuously improve our data generation.

You will have the opportunity to help further build out our DNA / RNA pipelines to build the most diverse database in the world, with a particular focus on metagenomic recovery from challenging and varied sample types - water, soil, sediments, faeces, biofilms and beyond. You'll be comfortable with sequencing workflows from end to end, from extraction through to library preparation, and have experience with both short and long read technologies, including high molecular weight (HMW) extraction methods.

You'll bring real depth in metagenomic extraction methodologies and the ability to recover usable nucleic acids from difficult, low-biomass or inhibitor-rich matrices. Virology experience in both extraction and sequencing would also be beneficial to this role. You'll understand when good is good enough and can support handover for testing and implementation in production.

Your work will contribute directly to Basecamp Research’s Trillion Gene Atlas Project, helping transform diverse global samples into high-quality biological data that can reveal new genes, proteins, pathways, and functions from nature.

The role is laboratory based but you will have ownership over your projects, with the opportunity to work closely with our Collaborations team who coordinate sample collection globally, and to have input into the methods for collection or extraction and the molecular biology methods that are applied to a global network of collaborators, seeing your work make an impact in real-time.

The role will suit someone with experience who enjoys the technically focused aspects of development, from rapid prototyping to delivery. You'll also have the opportunity to work with the Data teams, who may have specific requirements for particular targeted methods, all with the aim of increasing our database diversity, data quality and scalability. You will work in a data-first environment, using experimental and sequencing-quality metrics to guide method development, prioritisation, and handover into production.

Key Responsibilities

• Working with the R&D Lead, Director of Production and wider R&D and Production teams and collaborators, align R&D projects in order and prioritise during data pushes.

• Develop and optimise metagenomic extraction methods across a broad range of sample types (e.g. water, soil, sediments, faeces, biofilms), including approaches for low-biomass and inhibitor-rich matrices.

• Develop DNA / RNA purification methods using kits / chemistries / adaptation / in-house development to recover viruses and microbes, including high molecular weight (HMW) extractions suitable for long-read sequencing.

• Apply and develop virology-focused workflows spanning extraction through to sequencing, recovering viral signal from complex sample backgrounds.

• Design well-controlled experiments to compare extraction chemistries, sample-processing methods, library-preparation approaches, and sequencing-readout performance.

• Define success criteria, generate validation data, and support the transfer of robust methods into production through clear documentation, training, and troubleshooting.

• Prioritise development work based on scientific value, data-generation impact, feasibility, production scalability, and organisational timelines.

• Confident working within a CLS 2 environment and working with genetically modified organisms and their generation.

• Implementation of current, or development of novel, methods for library building for Next Generation Sequencing with ownership of the projects.

• Capable of working within a multi-disciplinary team, both as a project lead or as part of a delivery team.

• Capable of analysing their own experiments and presenting this out to the wider organisation.

• Be a part of mentorship within the team and wider organisation.

• Horizon scan for emergent methodologies, either within or outside of molecular biology approaches, that could add additional value to projects.

• Develop protocols for current and new NGS methods as they come in-play — lead and take charge of R&D projects that fall within this purview.

• Work collaboratively between other R&D sites and Data Science to understand and develop new protocols for challenging target genes / DNA modalities.

Required skills and experiences

• A minimum of 5 years' experience working on technically focused molecular biology and sequencing projects, either in a commercial R&D or large project-based academic setting for method development, ideally in non-model organisms.

• A strong understanding of metagenomic extraction methodologies across a range of sample types (e.g. water, soil, sediments, faeces, biofilms).

• Experience developing or applying high molecular weight (HMW) extraction methods.

• A track record in delivery of molecular methods for working with DNA and RNA, for both extraction and sequencing in end-to-end workflows.

• Experimental design and statistical comparison of method performance and ability to troubleshoot results.

• Pro-active and motivated in developing new methods and tackling continuous improvement challenges.

• Experience working within multi-disciplinary teams to deliver projects.

Advantageous skills and experiences

• Environmental metagenomics or microbial ecology background.

• Virology experience covering both extraction and Sequencing.

• Familiarity with automation and high throughput scaling of methods, its pitfalls and the development of methods for its usage.

What we offer in return

Impactful Mission: This is a rare chance to do work that genuinely matters. You'll join a talented, fast-moving team, access unique biological datasets at scale, and see your contributions shape real breakthroughs in AI and curative therapeutics.

Collaborative Culture: You'll be surrounded by world-class engineers, scientists, and researchers who care deeply about their work and about each other. With offices in London and Boston, we've built a flexible, cross-functional environment where personal development and real ownership aren't just talking points.

High Growth: We truly believe in investing in our people. We make coaching available to team members during steep growth journeys and we have twice-yearly promotion opportunities. People who are really successful here own it and go directly to solve problems at pace, and we ensure reward increases with impact.

Comprehensive Benefits: We've built a benefits package people value. That means competitive salary, equity, and private healthcare with no medical history exclusions - so strong that most employees' family members opt into our plan over their own. We also offer Carrot Fertility with IVF stipend, salary sacrifice pension, bike-to-work scheme, life insurance, and more.

We are committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of ethnic or national origin, race, religion, sex, age, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, gender identity or any other basis. If you have a disability or additional need that needs accommodating do let us know.