Cephla, a Stanford spinout, is hiring for a technical role focused on smart microscopy, large-scale automation, and self-driving lab efforts in biology and drug discovery. They have already deployed ~100 systems in leading labs and are experiencing accelerating adoption. This role is likely seeking someone with strong software engineering skills, hardware experience, and a passion for scientific impact.
What they want, where you stand, and the exact résumé edits to qualify.
Biggest lever: Gain hands-on experience or build a small project interacting with hardware, ideally with a scientific or imaging focus, to demonstrate hardware-adjacent systems proficiency.
A starter prompt for Claude Code, what you'll need, and how to reach them.
You are a senior software engineer specializing in hardware-adjacent systems and robust data pipelines. Your task is to outline a technical proposal for contributing to Cephla's 'smart microscopy, large scale automation and self-driving lab efforts' as a Member of Technical Staff (intern/contract to full-time/consulting). Focus on outlining a concrete approach for integrating a new imaging modality (e.g., high-content screening) into their existing infrastructure. The proposal should cover: 1) A conceptual system architecture (e.g., instrument control, data acquisition, processing, storage). 2) Key technologies and protocols to consider for robust, reliable operation. 3) A plan for ensuring data integrity and scalability for large datasets. 4) How AI/ML could be integrated for autonomous experiment control or advanced image analysis. Assume a stack involving Python for backend/instrument control, Rust for performance-critical components, a PostgreSQL database for metadata, S3-compatible storage for raw data, and a Next.js/React frontend for user interaction. Emphasize reliability and the ability to ship solutions. Provide a high-level technical work breakdown.
Cephla | Member of Technical Staff | Intern, Contract to Full-time, Consulting | Onsite | https://www.cephla.com Cephla is building the critical imaging infrastructure for modern biology and drug discovery. As a 2023 spinout from Stanford, we already have ~ 100 systems in leading academic labs, techbio startups, pharma and cancer centers. With adoption accelerating we're looking for a member of technical staff (intern/contract to full-time/consulting) for our smart microscopy, large scale automation and self-driving lab efforts. You will work directly with our users, with applications spanning from basic research to precision medicine. What we look for: passionate about science / impact on patients, strong software engineering fundamentals, experience with hardware-adjacent systems, having shipped solutions where reliability is critical. Apply at https://www.cephla.com/careers/mts-intern-smart-microscopy
Build a small, public project (e.g., using a Raspberry Pi or Arduino with a camera/sensor) that interfaces with hardware to capture and process data. Focus on robust software control, data acquisition, and reliable operation. Document the process and code on GitHub. (4-6 weeks)
Core programming skills in relevant languages.
New: Interfacing with scientific instruments, real-time control, robust error handling for physical systems - ~1-2 weeks study + hands-on.
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New: Biology/drug discovery workflows, image processing libraries (OpenCV, scikit-image), instrument APIs (e.g., Micro-Manager) - ~2-3 weeks focused learning.
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Standard cloud deployment patterns and services.
Apply directly via the careers page: https://www.cephla.com/careers/mts-intern-smart-microscopy
“Highlight strong software engineering fundamentals and proven ability to ship reliable, hardware-adjacent solutions, directly addressing the requirements for their smart microscopy and self-driving lab initiatives. Emphasize passion for scientific impact.”
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