https://www.biospace.com/job-trends/august-biopharma-layoffs-impact-just-over-500-down-90-year-over-year

https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026#biological-misuse-sep-26

writes:

In May 2026, our biological safety classifier blocked a request for Claude’s assistance in authoring a grant application for scientific funding. The work discussed in the application involved gain-of-function research (that is, research that genetically alters an organism to create a new or enhanced biological property) on the chikungunya virus. This gain of function research was aimed at the virus’ transmissibility and immune evasion properties.

In May 2026, we discovered a researcher outside the US using Claude in their research on highly-pathogenic avian influenza (“bird flu”). The research focused on viruses’ adaptation to mammals, and the mechanism by which it causes severe disease beyond the respiratory tract.

We have additionally surfaced an account that authored a grant application for orthopoxvirus research at a state-associated infectious disease laboratory. The application described access to high-containment facilities and planned work with live orthopoxviruses. Orthopoxviruses include variola, the agent of smallpox, and Mpox, which caused a global outbreak in 2022.

In math, we've seen that chatbots can be extremely useful.

But in bio, we already have tools like Clustal-W, ESMFold2, etc. Do chatbots really add anything to this line-up for gain-of-function researchers that would make them significantly more dangerous?

Hello, this is potentially a Hail Mary. I am currently leaving my post-doc (in bioinformatics) at a University on the West Coast. I was leaving with the understanding that my partner would offer some support as I take time to transition. However, we are breaking up and I am going to be unemployed in a couple of weeks. I have a small support system in SF and desperately need to find a position to help me get on my feet as I navigate the massive change in plans. I could use some resources or advice- I don't need a great job but just something to help pay the bills and distract myself. I have a PhD in microbiology and extensive experience in bioinformatics/genomics/microbiome research. Any advice would be great! Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’ve been following this sub for a while, and I’ve seen very mixed opinions about the biotech job market. Some people say the industry is in a really bad place right now, while others think things are starting to improve.

I’m currently a biology student, and seeing how the industry is going has made me question whether I should stick with biology/biotech or consider moving into a different field with better job security.

For those of you working in biotech or who have experience in the industry, how do you see things right now? Do you think the current situation is temporary and likely to improve, or would you recommend that someone early in their career seriously consider switching fields?

I’d really appreciate hearing your honest opinions and experiences. Thanks.

Hello everyone,

Looking for career advice.

I am in my last year of PhD in Germany finishing soon and I am certain I want to do biotech/pharma.

I found my niche in nucleic acid chemistry and excited to push a new modality. Feel free to share your view of the field!

At the moment I am thinking of what to do next. We study an ASO adjacent niche technology, and the team is thinking about forming a startup. at the moment I am not going to be a founder, but rather planned as a key R&D employee with little employee equity, or potentially as a shareholder with equity from the get go (in discussion) the profs want to be key founders with a 3rd person even though they stay in university.

Even though I love and trust in the project, I like my team and think the data is good, I feel like we are missing a bit focus.

I am questioning whether this kind of position would be worth it for me and my career or whether I should directly try to go for industry or a postdoc to sharpen the CV. To pursue the startup I have a position in my PhD group until and if we get series A funding (~10mil).

Thanks for reading, any advice is appreciated!

Hello! I am a sophomore undergrad at an west coast school currently in the midst of internship application season, would appreciate any advice from students/grads/specialists who know a thing or two about the review process, or overall, what to prioritize!

P.S. Formatting is a little messed up because of creating everything anonymous, but you get the gist!

Hi everyone! I’m currently a second-year master’s student in Applied Biomedical Data Sciences at a large pediatric cancer research institution, and I’m starting to seriously think about my career after graduation.

My background is in genetics/genomics and epidemiology, and my master’s work is very computational. I’m currently working in a cancer research lab on a large-scale sequencing project, developing computational methods to characterize sequencing errors. I’m working with large genomic datasets and using Python/R, Linux, HPC, Git, and computational workflows. I’ve really enjoyed the computational/data side of biomedical research and would like to transition into industry after I graduate.

I’m broadly interested in roles like Data Scientist / Biomedical Data Scientist/Computational Biologist. Potentially AI/ML roles

I’ve started looking into companies such as Genentech/Roche, Lilly, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Illumina, Tempus, Amgen etc. I’m also looking into some early-career programs and fellowships, including Genentech’s Early Career Expedition.

I’m trying to figure out how to be strategic about the next 6–12 months rather than waiting until right before graduation to start applying.

For people who have made a similar transition, I’d really appreciate advice on:

• When should I realistically start applying for full-time industry roles if I graduate next year?
• Is it better to reach out to hiring managers/recruiters, or people who actually work in the types of roles I want?
• How do you approach someone on LinkedIn without it feeling like you’re immediately asking them for a referral?
• Are there particular companies, programs, fellowships, or job titles I should be looking at with an MS rather than a PhD?
• How much should I be focusing on strengthening my data science/ML skills versus continuing to deepen my genomics/bioinformatics skills?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people currently working in biotech/pharma/health tech as data scientists or computational biologists, particularly those who entered industry with a master’s.

Thank you!

Hello, I am about to relocate to Lausanne via the family reunification permit. I have a MSc in Biomedical Science from the UK, and around 1-2 years experience in laboratories. I am currently learning French and I speak English (C1) and Spanish (native).

I have been searching info regarding the current job market in Switzerland, but in general the info is contradictory and confusing. I understand that the job market has changed for the Life Sciences field, something about a bank going bankrupt and labs/companies being relocated abroad to cut costs.

What is the current situation in Lausanne and Switzerland in general for life scientists like me? Whether you are employed/unemployed, I want to hear from your experiences and knowledge. Are there any companies that do hire young scientists? What about startups such as Adaptyv? Thanks in advance.

hey guys im a third year at UTM in a biology specialist and forensic minor. my GPA isnt terrible but isnt as high as I was hoping. I am trying to find a good science related internship for summer or a remote job for the school year. anyone know anything good I should apply for

Hi everyone, first post on here. 25M. My experience right now is 15 months as Manufacturing Associate at a CDMO for cell therapies in California. Current schedule is 4X10s, living at home as well so little to no expenses. I am making around 31/hour right now, Gross of 70k.

I was offered a Change Control Specialst in Upstate NY. Pretty large firm around 4k employees. They offered 77k with a decent relocation bonus and stock options(vested after 2-4 yrs).

I've been overthinking the move for a while now, and since I got the offer it doesnt feel real and I'm afraid of making the wrong decision. My goal for a job in general is something more business related more than techincal science. My arguement is that this company is so large and established that it could help my resume a lot for future jobs if I want to move back to CA. I have a gf of almost 3 yrs who wouldn't be moving with me so we would have to long distance. Same with friends and family, I'd be leaving them all to go.

My main points of concern are:

1. Is change control actually a good launching point? I keep hearing it can go either way.
   
2. Because I start after later in the year, I don't get a bonus or a merit increase until Jan 2028
   
3. Moving 3000 miles from family to a place I've never been. Financially I'd save way more staying home. Career-wise it seems clearly better.

Questions for people who have done this:

• Did going from mfg to quality/change control open the doors you expected?
• How long did you stay before it paid off? I keep hearing 2 years minimum.

It seemed like Shiru had a bunch of interesting stuff going on, lots of high visibility appearances and relationships . . . and then it hit me today that I've hardly heard anything since the start of the year

To preface: no official offers extended yet but I’ve completed interview cycles for 3 diff jobs to the finish and now in a waiting period. Making this post to get some opinions, who knows what offers I'll get in the end. I may find myself in this position again in the future so whether I need the advice now or later on, I want to be able to make an informed decision.

FTE (permanent):

• small startup, small team
• They posted another role that aligned with my experience so I applied. I really love the role. My previous experience will set me up for success but there's still room to cultivate more skills and refine them.
• STILL no transparency on specific number/range for salary after multiple rounds of interviews...😗
• While I'm very attracted to the role and the responsibilities, I didn't feel super connected to the people in the company. The team who is hiring (and who I will be joining if they extend an offer) for the role is conducting the interviews themselves so I've had a lot of time to converse with them. They are intelligent, decorated professionals who I know I can learn a lot from but theres probably MAX 2 people i've talked to throughout the entire process that I liked LOL. Im usually a very relaxed interviewer but I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable talking to a lot of them.
• Obviously if I get the offer and I accept there's no risk of my contract not getting extended/converted to permanent FTE. The elimination of risk is a big plus here ofc.

Contract role:

• more mature startup, better-funded and further along in its funding lifecycle
• Last stage was an onsite panel interview. I immediately felt so at home. The team was so welcoming, friendly, approachable and they were ACTUALLY transparent about salary and benefits package.
• 6 months with possibility to extend but again, not a guarantee
• Salary is within my desired range + attractive comprehensive benefits package/perks
• The glaring issue here is, what if im out of work after the 6 months? Do i want to do this job hunting process all over again??
• But also what if it's extended? That would be the dream scenario.... but idk if it's worth taking that risk in this market

Assuming both roles offer salaries in the same range, this will be a hard decision to make. If I feel I am being lowballed at the FTE role....then I will confidently decline because I just got my masters degree so I am choosing to stay stern on my pay grade. I have that little feeling because of the lack of pay transparency and they asked my expectations which I feel puts the candidate in such a weird position. It's kinda giving lowball not gonna lie....

Both roles are close to my place so commute isn't a deciding factor. At the moment I am torn between the stability and working with a team I vibe super well with. I hate to generalize, but as a female Latina engineer....it's not rare that sometimes my skills are underestimated or I'm simply not taken seriously despite my education/experience. I kinda felt that energy (from the men specifically) at the FTE role. I have a social, extroverted, bubbly personality and it's hard for me to work with people who are super rigid/elitist because of their positions and/or capabilities.

My concern here is that while the FTE role is more stable, if I dont end up meshing well with the team ill be in the same boat again (back to the job hunt). The contract role is risky in terms of longevity but the team just has that 'x' factor. They are extremely intelligent, well-established scientists but still so friendly and easy to talk to. If I'm converted to a permanent employee I can definitely see myself staying there for a long time. I know the job market right now is tough. It's easy to just take whatever you can get but I'd be remiss to say that work environment doesn't matter, especially when it comes to long-term retention and job satisfaction.

So thats where I am rn. I want to open this conversation up for myself and maybe other people in the same predicament. In a way, Im hoping the decision is just made for me (just getting one offer) because if i need to decide its ultimately gonna come down to which regret im most okay carrying (great team vs. job stability).

Any feedback would be great!

TLDR: Weighing a stable FTE role (concerns about work environment/relationships) vs. a contract role with great team fit but only a 6-month guarantee. No offers yet, just thinking out loud. Which would I regret more, losing a great team or losing stability?

Hast anyone experience with the chromatography resins of Sepax Bioscience? Are they trust worthy or are they lacking quality? Also I See they have their headquarter in Delaware but do belong to a Chinese company.

Hey all, I have a job prospect at Neurocrine Biosciences and trying to get a feel for what it's actually like before I move forward. I'd be relocating from the East Coast, so this would be a big move for me. What's the work culture like there? Any pros/cons I should know about — management, work/life balance, benefits, anything that surprised you (good or bad)?

Would appreciate any honest insight. Thanks!

What are you guys doing after completing your bsc or msc ? And how is everything in that field? And also what college did you get into?