SecureDNA

The SecureDNA project seeks to enable fast, reliable, cheap, automated screening of DNA synthesis orders, to prevent both careless and malicious users from synthesizing potentially-hazardous DNA sequences anywhere in the world. It is an international, academic/commercial partnership project, consisting of researchers from MIT, Tsinghua University, Aarhus University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other world-leading academic institutions, in partnership with major international DNA synthesis providers. We write primarily in Rust, with some Python. Our goal is to develop an automatic and accurate screening system which can screen DNA synthesis orders much more quickly and cheaply than the current human-reliant review system; have negligible impact on legitimate research by researchers authorized to work with particular organisms; effectively block hazardous DNA sequences from being produced without suitable oversight, whether via accident or malice; protect intellectual property by not disclosing the submitted DNA orders to third parties; protect worldwide security by not disclosing potential hazards which may not be public; and enable global commercial adoption, with community verification, via scientific diplomacy and open-source software. To learn more, visit our website (https://www.securedna.org) or read our technical whitepaper (https://www.securedna.org/manuscript/Cryptographic_Aspects_of_DNA_Screening). We are seeking to enlarge our existing development team with a small number of skilled and passionate developers and test engineers to continue implementing the specification we have developed. This includes the initial beta release, scheduled for the next several months, with possible extension to the entire (multi-year) project. You will be responsible for: Developers: Writing a variety of components, mostly backend (storage, crypto, network) and a small amount of frontend (customer-facing web); and deploying the system into the production environments of our DNA customers and vendor partners. The codebase won't be huge, but it must be correct, secure, and performant. Test engineers: Establishing a testing framework for assuring quality via continuous integration; creating inventive test cases and strategies across all levels of the codebase (unit, integration, and functional); ensuring thorough test coverage; Fuzzing and automated testing. If you're full of devious ideas for how to break and compromise everything you touch, we want you. No relocation is required; this is a 100% virtual position. SecureDNA has the flexibility to hire either as a full-time salaried position or as a contractor at industry-competitive rates. Funding is administered through MIT (US) and Tsinghua University (China). Basic Requirements: Significant experience working with secure software system development and deployment; strong knowledge and experience in Rust (and secondarily Python); knowledge and experience with software testing and with git; familiarity with common cryptographic software libraries and implementations; and fluent in English, including good writing skills. Nice to Have: Familiarity with modern cryptography-based secure computing algorithms; and some familiarity with basic biological knowledge and DNA synthesis; prior background in bioinformatics or related fields. Benefits: Flexible work hours and arrangement; a critical role in implementing an important biosecurity system which will be deployed worldwide; future opportunities in long-term collaboration with other research projects; and competitive salary and other benefits. Contact: jobs+hn@securedna.org (principals only; no recruiters, please)