Last updated: September 2026
Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1 billion in Series B funding in May 2026, one of the largest private rounds ever for an AI-first drug-design company, yet as of September 2026 it employs a lean, senior-heavy team and runs zero internship or graduate programs. Founded in 2021 as an Alphabet/Google DeepMind spinout and led by Nobel laureate Sir Demis Hassabis, Iso has partnered with Eli Lilly and Novartis on deals worth up to $2.9 billion in milestones and is staffing up for its first human clinical trials with AI-designed oncology candidates. With approximately $2.7 billion in total external funding and offices in London, Lausanne, and Cambridge, MA, the company's mission is to "one day solve all disease with the help of AI."
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | isomorphiclabs.com/work-with-us and Greenhouse board |
| Internship program | None as of September 2026 (official FAQ confirms no internships, graduate schemes, or work-experience placements) |
| Application window (2027–28) | Not applicable. Monitor the website, X (@IsomorphicLabs), and LinkedIn for announcements |
| Current roles | 22 full-time openings across ML Research, Software Engineering, Drug Discovery, and Clinical (all London/Lausanne except clinical in Cambridge, MA) |
| Education bar | PhD required for Research Scientist; Master's/PhD for ML Research Engineer. No entry-level or intern tier. |
| Compensation (full-time ref.) | Community-reported SWE median ~$559K total comp (Levels.fyi, small sample); London base £100K–£140K (Glassdoor estimates) |
| Locations | London HQ (King's Cross), Lausanne (Le Flon), Cambridge MA (clinical/wet-lab only) |
| Interview process | 5 stages: screening, technical assessment, role interviews, senior interviews, offer. ~44 days average. No AI tools allowed. |
The key fact: Isomorphic Labs officially has no internship program as of September 2026. Its FAQ states it will announce on its website and social media if that changes. All current roles are senior-level, PhD-preferred, and based in London or Lausanne. Treat this page as a preparation guide for when the door opens.
Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The Pfizer Advanced AI-Powered Document Intelligence Externship and the Wayfair AI Agent Engineering for Business Intelligence Externship build the AI engineering and drug-discovery-adjacent skills that Isomorphic Labs values. Explore all Externships.
What Is an Isomorphic Labs Internship?
An Isomorphic Labs internship does not exist yet. The company's official Work With Us FAQ states: "Does Iso offer internship programmes, graduate schemes or work experience placements? Not at the moment." Founded as an Alphabet/DeepMind spinout in 2021 and led by Nobel Prize-winning CEO Sir Demis Hassabis, Iso is building an AI drug-design engine powered by technology descended from AlphaFold. The company operates from London (King's Cross HQ), Lausanne, and Cambridge, MA, with pharma partnerships with Eli Lilly and Novartis worth up to $2.9 billion. With $2.1 billion raised in Series B and clinical trials approaching, Iso may eventually launch a student program, but as of September 2026 it hires only experienced professionals. This page captures the real hiring bar and how to prepare.
When Do Isomorphic Labs Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Because Isomorphic Labs has no internship program, there is no application timeline. Instead, this timeline maps the preparation window for a student who wants to be ready if Iso ever opens intern or new-grad roles. The company hires full-time on a rolling basis with an average process length of about 44 days. All ML/AI/SWE roles are in London or Lausanne; the Cambridge, MA office is clinical only. Iso says it will announce any new program types on its website, X, and LinkedIn.
No internship exists. This is your skill-building window. Focus on deep learning (JAX/PyTorch), modern architectures (Transformers, GNNs, diffusion models), and computational biology fundamentals. Register your interest via Iso's general application.
Monitor isomorphiclabs.com/work-with-us, X (@IsomorphicLabs), and LinkedIn for any announcement of student programs. Iso stated it will update these channels if internships launch. Pursue ML research publications and open-source contributions in the meantime.
Build a research portfolio. Iso's Research Scientist roles require a PhD or equivalent; ML Research Engineer roles require a Master's or PhD. Top-lab internships at DeepMind, FAIR, or MSR build the profile Iso eventually looks for. Target NeurIPS, ICML, or ICLR publications.
Apply to ONE best-fit role. Iso cross-matches candidates internally and asks you not to spray multiple applications. Prepare for a 5-stage process: screening calls, technical assessment (take-home or scenario), deeper role interviews, senior management interviews, and offer.
No AI tools, transcription, or assistants are allowed during interviews. Iso is AI-first in product but assesses candidates unaided. Expect OA, DSA, ML-specific rounds, and behavioral questions. The culture screen weighs experimental mindset, humility, resilience, and directness equally with technical skill.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
Because Isomorphic Labs has no internship program, there is no application window to optimize around. The reason to start preparing now is that Iso's hiring bar is exceptionally high. Research Scientist roles require a PhD with publications, and ML Research Engineer roles require a Master's or PhD with production deep-learning experience. If Iso launches a student program, it will likely inherit these standards in some form. Students who spend the next year building JAX/PyTorch fluency, publishing at top ML venues, and gaining exposure to computational biology or drug discovery will be best positioned when the door opens. Register your interest through Iso's general application now so you are in their system. The company says every application is human-reviewed, so a strong profile submitted early could lead to a conversation even before a formal program launches.
Which Isomorphic Labs Internship Programs Should You Target?
Isomorphic Labs has no formal internship tracks. The table below maps Iso's current full-time function areas to the roles a future intern or new-grad program would most likely cover, based on the company's 22 open positions.
| Function | Focus | Current level | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ML Research Engineer | Translate research into optimized AI models; training/eval pipelines for Transformers, GNNs, diffusion models | Mid to Senior+ (Master's/PhD) | London |
| Research Scientist (ML) | Greenfield ML architectures and algorithms for drug discovery; design, train, analyze | PhD required | London / Lausanne |
| Research Scientist (Applied LLMs) | Applying large language models within the drug-design engine | PhD preferred | London |
| Software Engineer (Compute/Inference) | GPU/TPU accelerator strategy, cluster deployment, ML infrastructure | Mid to Senior+ | London |
| Data Curator | Curating chemistry and biology datasets that feed the models | Mid+ | London |
| Clinical / Pharmacology | Clinical program management, in-vitro/in-vivo pharmacology | Senior+ | Cambridge, MA |
Monitor isomorphiclabs.com/job-openings for any future student or entry-level positions.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
No intern eligibility criteria exist because no program exists. The bar below is inferred from current full-time technical JDs:
• Education: PhD or equivalent practical experience required for Research Scientist roles. Master's or PhD in a highly quantitative field for ML Research Engineer. The application warns non-PhD applicants they "may be rejected due to this being an important requirement."
• Experience level: All roles advertised "Mid through to Senior, Staff, Principal or equivalent." No entry-level, new-grad, or intern tier exists.
• Location/right-to-work: London roles offer UK visa sponsorship. Lausanne roles require existing Swiss right-to-work (no sponsorship). Cambridge, MA roles are clinical only.
• AI-tool policy: Candidates must agree NOT to use any AI tools, transcription, or assistants during interviews or assessments.
Can Undergrads or Master's Students Break In?
Not through a formal program. Iso's current hiring is PhD-centric and senior-heavy. A widely referenced r/MachineLearning thread quotes that Iso wants "people with several years of ML experience" and that "once things are more stabilized, it will be easier to accept interns." For undergrads and early Master's students, the realistic path is building toward a PhD or accumulating equivalent research experience. Iso's Director of Talent Acquisition emphasizes values alignment (Experimental Mindset, Humility, Resilience, Authenticity) equally with technical skill, so domain passion matters alongside credentials.
What Skills Does Isomorphic Labs Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Isomorphic Labs sits at the intersection of cutting-edge machine learning and pharmaceutical drug design. Because no intern JDs exist, the skills below are drawn from three current full-time technical job descriptions read in full. The pattern is clear: deep-learning framework mastery (JAX or PyTorch) appears in every technical role, modern model architectures (Transformers, GNNs, diffusion models) appear in both ML roles, and strong software engineering fundamentals underpin everything. An interest in biochemistry or computational biology is listed as a nice-to-have, not a requirement, which means Iso values ML engineers who can learn the domain.
What Isomorphic Labs looks for in interns
Skills across 3 Isomorphic Labs intern & analyst job descriptions · 3 full-time technical JDs (ML Research Engineer, Research Scientist ML, SWE Compute Platform), no intern JDs exist
Method: analysis of 3 Isomorphic Labs full-time technical JDs on Greenhouse (Aug 2026). No intern JDs exist. Skills reflect the company's technical bar, not an intern-specific requirement set.
How Is Demand for AI Drug-Discovery Talent Moving Right Now?
AI drug-discovery and biotech ML hiring right now: September 2026
Across AI-biotech and computational drug-discovery postings tracked this month · aggregate market data, all employers
September 2026 shows an AI drug-discovery hiring market defined by record funding and a PhD-level entry bar. Students targeting this space should focus on ML research publications and computational biology exposure.
Method: aggregate analysis of AI drug-discovery and biotech ML postings, September 2026. Directional only.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Every skill in the chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real company project before the next application cycle.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| AI engineering & production ML systems | ML Research Engineer: 'translate research into optimized AI models; build training and evaluation pipelines' | Pfizer AI Document Intelligence |
| AI agent design & business intelligence | SWE Compute Platform: 'GPU/TPU accelerator strategy, cluster deployment, ML infra reliability' | Wayfair AI Agent Engineering |
| Data analysis & scientific computing | Research Scientist ML: 'NumPy, SciPy, Pandas; design experiments, analyze results' | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Visualization |
The Pfizer externship develops production AI skills in a pharma context that directly parallels Iso's drug-design mission, the Wayfair project builds the agent engineering and infra skills every Iso SWE role demands, and the CIJY project trains the data visualization and scientific computing workflow Iso researchers use daily.
What Is the Isomorphic Labs Application and Interview Process Like?
There is no internship application process. The steps below describe how to position yourself for future opportunities or a full-time application at Isomorphic Labs:
1. Monitor Iso's channels now. Set alerts on isomorphiclabs.com/work-with-us, X (@IsomorphicLabs), and LinkedIn. Iso says it will announce any internship program through these channels.
2. Submit the general application. Register your interest via Iso's Greenhouse board if no exact-fit role is open. Iso states every application is human-reviewed.
3. Apply to ONE best-fit role when one appears. Iso cross-matches candidates internally, so do not spray multiple applications. Wait at least one year before reapplying to the same role.
4. Prepare for a values-heavy culture screen. Iso's Director of Talent Acquisition emphasizes Experimental Mindset, Humility, Non-perfectionism, Resilience, Authenticity, and Directness. Prepare concrete examples of intellectual humility and learning from failure.
5. Do NOT plan to use AI tools in interviews. Iso requires candidates to agree not to use any AI tools, transcription, or assistants during assessments. This is a mandatory checkbox.
6. Expect approximately 44 days end-to-end. The five official stages are: initial screening calls, technical assessment (take-home or scenario), deeper role interviews with other team members, senior management interviews, and the offer. Interviews are mostly on Google Meet.
The interview process for technical roles includes OA, DSA, and ML-specific rounds alongside behavioral questions. Glassdoor rates difficulty at 3.25 out of 5 with 42% positive experience. Our HireVue question guide with a free AI mock tool covers the behavioral-question format used in technical hiring.
What the Community Says
Isomorphic Labs discussions on Reddit center on compensation, the PhD-level hiring bar, and the company's legitimacy as an AI drug-discovery lab.
Community members note that Isomorphic Labs wants people with several years of ML experience and that once things stabilize, it will be easier to accept interns. The PhD publication bar is high: one PhD student with NeurIPS and ECCV papers asked how to break into top labs including Iso, signaling just how competitive the applicant pool is.
A candidate offered an AI-driven medicinal-chemistry scientist role sparked debate about whether Iso is a legitimate drug-discovery operation or a deep-learning gimmick. The consensus leaned toward legitimate, citing the Eli Lilly and Novartis partnerships as validation that Big Pharma trusts the science.
Glassdoor shows a 4.5 out of 5 rating from 21 reviews with 93 percent recommending the company. Reviewers praise the mission, world-class ML talent, and infrastructure, though a minority cite fast-growth pains and relatively low base compensation for London. Interview difficulty is rated 3.25 out of 5 with a mixed 42 percent positive experience.
How Do You Prepare for a Company That Does Not Hire Interns?
Three moves, all executable now. First, build production deep-learning fluency in JAX or PyTorch. Every Iso technical role lists these as requirements, and the ML Research Engineer JD specifically calls out Transformers, GNNs, and diffusion models. Contribute to open-source ML projects that demonstrate you can ship code, not just train models. Second, develop a computational biology interest. Two of three technical JDs list biochemistry or drug-discovery fundamentals as a nice-to-have. Taking a computational biology course, reading AlphaFold papers, or working on protein structure prediction projects signals domain alignment. Third, target top-lab research internships at Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR, or Microsoft Research as stepping stones. These labs operate at the same technical altitude as Iso and their alumni are the talent pool Iso recruits from. A NeurIPS or ICML publication from one of these internships is the strongest possible signal on your CV when Iso eventually opens its doors.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Isomorphic Labs competes for AI and computational biology talent with other frontier research labs and AI drug-discovery companies.
- Google DeepMindparent organization's research lab; AlphaFold originated here; runs a structured research internship for PhD studentsCareers site
- Recursion Pharmaceuticalspublicly traded AI drug-discovery company (RXRX); runs summer internships for undergrad and grad students; Salt Lake City HQCareers site
- Eli LillyIso's pharma partner ($83M upfront + milestones); runs large-scale summer internship and co-op programs across R&D, data science, and engineeringGuide →
- NovartisIso's other pharma partner; global summer internship program with computational biology and data science tracksGuide →
If you are interested in AI drug discovery but need an internship now, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Recursion all run structured student programs. Our tech internships summer 2027 guide maps the full AI and biotech landscape.
FAQ
Does Isomorphic Labs offer internships?
No. Isomorphic Labs officially confirms it does not offer internships, graduate schemes, or work-experience placements as of September 2026. The company's Work With Us FAQ states it will announce on its website, X, and LinkedIn if that changes. All current openings are full-time roles for experienced professionals.
Can US students work at Isomorphic Labs?
Not in a technical role. Iso's only US office is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it hosts clinical and wet-lab pharmacology positions only. All ML, AI, and software engineering roles are based in London or Lausanne. There are no internships anywhere, and no US pathway for tech students currently exists.
What qualifications does Isomorphic Labs require?
Research Scientist roles require a PhD or equivalent, and the application explicitly warns non-PhD applicants they may be rejected. ML Research Engineer roles require a Master's or PhD in a quantitative field plus JAX or PyTorch experience. All technical roles are advertised at mid-to-senior level with no entry-level tier.
Does Isomorphic Labs sponsor visas?
For London roles, yes. Iso supports UK visa applications and sponsorship. For Lausanne (Switzerland) roles, no. You must already have the right to work in Switzerland. Cambridge, MA roles follow standard US employment authorization requirements but are limited to clinical positions.
What is the Isomorphic Labs interview like?
Five stages: initial screening calls, a technical assessment (take-home or scenario), deeper role interviews with team members, senior management interviews, and the offer. Glassdoor reports average difficulty of 3.25 out of 5 and a 44-day average process. Candidates must agree not to use AI tools during any assessment.
How much does Isomorphic Labs pay?
No intern pay exists because no program exists. For full-time roles, community sources put London software engineer base pay at roughly 100,000 to 140,000 British pounds per year. Levels.fyi reports a much higher software engineer total compensation median of about $559,000, but that figure comes from a very small sample.
What is the Glassdoor rating for Isomorphic Labs?
Isomorphic Labs holds a 4.5 out of 5 overall rating from 21 Glassdoor reviews, with 93 percent recommending the company and 93 percent approving CEO Demis Hassabis. Reviews praise the mission, talent density, and ML infrastructure. A small minority cite fast-growth pains and compensation below expectations.
How can I prepare for a future Isomorphic Labs opportunity?
Build JAX or PyTorch proficiency with Transformers, GNNs, and diffusion models. Pursue ML research publications at NeurIPS, ICML, or ICLR. Develop computational biology awareness through courses or projects. Target research internships at DeepMind, FAIR, or MSR as stepping stones. Register your interest through Iso's general application.
Isomorphic Labs is not hiring interns yet, but the skills it values are buildable now. A remote Externship in AI engineering or data science turns interest in computational drug discovery into a finished project your future application can point at.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
