Remote | DNA Nanotechnology Research Specialist — Up to $70/hour

We are sharing a specialised part-time consulting opportunity for DNA nanotechnology researchers with advanced expertise in structural nucleic-acid design, molecular self-assembly, strand-displacement systems, and scientific problem development.

This role supports an advanced AI research initiative focused on strengthening expert-level reasoning in structural DNA nanotechnology. Selected professionals will author challenging technical problems, review peer-developed tasks for scientific accuracy and difficulty, and evaluate AI-generated solutions using rigorous standards grounded in current research practice.

Key Responsibilities

DNA Nanotechnology Problem Development

• Design expert-level problems involving DNA origami, nucleic-acid nanostructures, strand-displacement systems, and sequence or structure design
• Create tasks requiring multi-step scientific reasoning, quantitative analysis, and technically defensible conclusions
• Develop clear problem statements, assumptions, constraints, and expected outcomes
• Prepare accurate reference solutions and supporting scientific explanations
• Ensure tasks reflect genuine research-level difficulty

Structural & Sequence Design Review

• Assess DNA and nucleic-acid structures for design feasibility, stability, and intended function
• Review sequence-level considerations including complementarity, strand interactions, and secondary structure
• Evaluate molecular self-assembly pathways and strand-displacement mechanisms
• Identify design conflicts, unsupported assumptions, and structural inconsistencies
• Apply relevant thermodynamic and biophysical principles to proposed solutions

Peer Review & Ground-Truth Validation

• Review problems and reference answers authored by other specialists
• Assess clarity, originality, technical difficulty, and scientific correctness
• Verify assumptions, calculations, sequence logic, and design methodology
• Identify ambiguity, incomplete specifications, and unintended solution shortcuts
• Recommend revisions that improve scientific rigour and evaluation reliability

AI Solution Evaluation

• Review and compare AI-generated solutions to advanced DNA nanotechnology problems
• Assess scientific reasoning, design decisions, calculations, and final conclusions
• Identify conceptual errors, infeasible structures, incorrect sequence logic, and unsupported claims
• Assign Accept, Revise, or Reject outcomes with detailed written rationale
• Explain technical failures clearly and recommend appropriate corrections

Ideal Profile

Strong candidates may have:

• Advanced research experience in DNA nanotechnology, nucleic-acid engineering, bioengineering, biophysics, chemistry, or a closely related field
• Hands-on expertise in DNA origami, structural nucleic-acid design, molecular self-assembly, or strand-displacement systems
• Strong understanding of sequence design, structural stability, and nucleic-acid interactions
• Experience developing, analysing, or validating complex DNA nanostructures
• Ability to create and solve technically challenging scientific problems
• Excellent scientific writing and meticulous attention to detail
• Experience reviewing research, technical analyses, or advanced academic work

Educational Background

• A PhD in chemistry, bioengineering, biophysics, molecular engineering, nanotechnology, or a related discipline is highly relevant
• Equivalent research experience focused on DNA or nucleic-acid nanotechnology may also be considered
• Postdoctoral, university, national-laboratory, or industry research experience may strengthen an application
• Publications or substantial technical contributions in structural DNA nanotechnology are valuable

Nice to Have

• Experience with DNA origami design and experimental validation
• Familiarity with caDNAno, oxDNA, NUPACK, or comparable design and simulation tools
• Background in strand-displacement circuits or dynamic nucleic-acid systems
• Expertise in molecular self-assembly and nanoscale structural engineering
• Experience with sequence optimisation, thermodynamic modelling, or structural simulation
• Familiarity with laboratory methods used to assemble and characterise DNA nanostructures
• Experience teaching, grading, peer reviewing, or developing advanced scientific problems
• Previous exposure to AI evaluation, rubric development, or technical training-data projects

Why This Opportunity

• Apply advanced DNA nanotechnology expertise to frontier AI research
• Develop challenging problems grounded in active scientific practice
• Help improve how AI systems reason through complex structural and molecular-design questions
• Work across DNA origami, strand displacement, sequence design, and molecular self-assembly
• Collaborate with researchers and experienced scientific specialists
• Participate in flexible remote work with competitive hourly compensation

Contract Details

• Independent contractor role
• Fully remote with flexible scheduling
• Compensation of up to $70 per hour depending on expertise and project scope
• Weekly payments via Stripe or Wise
• Work may include problem development, structural review, peer evaluation, AI solution assessment, and scientific quality assurance
• Projects may be extended, shortened, or adjusted depending on scope and performance
• Work will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution

About the Platform

This opportunity is available through 24-MAG LLC. We connect experienced professionals with remote consulting opportunities across technical, evaluation, and project-based workstreams.

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