Predictive Oncology - Software Developer / Bioinformatician / Automation Engineer

Engineering autonomous labs that think, plan, and execute.

I design robotics, software, and active-learning pipelines that give scientists parallelized, always-on experimentation. From deck layout optimizers to SQL-RAG agents, I build tools that move discoveries faster.

Now

Optimizing multi-handler decks to minimize tips and LHOPs while maximizing throughput.

Next

Accepted as an MVP Poster Presenter at SLAS 2026 (Boston) for a frugal self-driving lab.

Base

Pittsburgh, PA - open to rebasing.

Jonathan Potter headshot

Building for scientists

  • Deck orchestration that schedules liquid handlers in parallel.
  • Local LLM agents with SQL-RAG + MCP for grounded reporting.
  • Clinical-grade qualification studies for new hardware and software.
  • Spheroid analytics to map tumor response beyond 2D microscopy.

About

Automating the scientific loop

I'm a Automation Engineer from Carnegie Mellon, where I obtained a Master's in Automated Science with a background in Biological Systems Engineering. I translate ideas from wet-lab teams into robotic protocols, AI-driven experiment planners, and user-friendly apps that scientists trust.

My goal is simple: let robots handle the repetitive and precise chores so that researchers, models, and agents can run more experiments, gather cleaner data, and invent faster.

Active learning + robotics Custom labware + 3D printing Bioinformatics and analytics

Stack

Python, Go, SQL (MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle), MATLAB, R, Arduino C++, Java

Hardware

Opentrons OT-2, Thermo Fisher Momentum, CyBio Felix, custom CAD/3D-Print fixtures

Specializations

MCP, SQL-RAG, computer vision for microscopy, QC, and plate readouts

Capabilities

Skills that ship

From concept to qualified deployment across robotics, analytics, and full-stack tooling.

Automation and Robotics

  • Opentrons OT-2 protocol design and persistent runtimes
  • Deck layout optimization, LHOP minimization, tip budgeting
  • Thermo Fisher Momentum and CyBio Felix integration

ML and Intelligence

  • Active learning loops with Gaussian processes
  • Local LLMs with SQL-RAG and MCP for grounded agents
  • Computer vision for microscopy and plate imaging

Software Engineering

  • Backend services for experiment orchestration
  • Full-stack dashboards and scientist-facing GUIs
  • Clinical-grade qualification studies and validation

Bioinformatics

  • Spheroid data pipelines and chemo response analysis
  • LIMS integrations and data harmonization
  • Plate design, QC, and reporting

Experience

Where I have been

Predictive Oncology

Software Developer / Bioinformatician / Automation Engineer

Aug 2025 - Present | Pittsburgh, PA

  • Built a backend app that ingests patient-drug experiments and schedules liquid handler decks for tip- and LHOP-efficient runs across multiple robots.
  • Shipped a full-stack platform with local LLMs using SQL-RAG and MCP so scientists can deploy agents that generate grounded reports with linked sources and charts.
  • Lead clinical-grade qualification studies to introduce new lab software and hardware safely.
  • Investigate spheroid data to map tumor responses beyond 2D microscopy benchmarks.

Magnify Bioscience

Automation Engineer

Sep 2024 - Aug 2025 | Pittsburgh, PA

  • Automated a six-hour chemical workflow on Opentrons OT-2s with heater-shaker modules, reclaiming hours of walkaway time.
  • Designed custom 3D-printed hardware to improve throughput and consistency.
  • Created a GUI so non-programmers could execute the protocol reliably.

Predictive Oncology

Bioinformatics Intern

May 2024 - Aug 2024 | Pittsburgh, PA

  • Developed software that merges patient and treatment data from LIMS to strategize plate layouts and generate liquid handler scripts.
  • Built a portable script-generation pipeline to bridge legacy and modern liquid handlers.
  • Benchmarked performance to guide hardware selection trade-offs.

Collins Lab, UC Davis

Bioinformatics Intern

Apr 2020 - Aug 2023 | Davis, CA

  • Built cell-specific ML models (CellPose, NumPy, TensorFlow) for quantitative microscopy.
  • Rebuilt an automated pipetting robot with custom 3D-printed components and Python control.
  • Partnered with biostatisticians to shape new experiment directions.

Selected Work

Projects

Backend - Orchestration

Deck Orchestrator

Backend application that ingests patient-drug experiment sets and computes the most tip- and LHOP-efficient way to execute across multiple liquid handlers in parallel.

LLM - SQL-RAG - MCP

Lab Intelligence Agents

Full-stack platform running local LLMs with SQL-RAG and MCP so users can deploy agents that safely explore proprietary databases, returning reports with linked ground-truth evidence and visualized trends.

Active Learning

Color Matching Loop

Gaussian-process-driven color matching that autonomously proposes dye recipes. Watch it in action.

View demo video
Clinical Data

CorteX

24-hour hackathon build: NLP and a rules engine that parses clinical criteria and ranks patient-trial matches with inclusion/exclusion reasoning.

GitHub

Highlights

Teaching, demos, and recognition

SLAS logo

SLAS 2026 MVP Poster Presenter

Boston, Feb 2026. Sharing a frugal self-driving lab that runs color matching and acid/base "Battleship" on an Opentrons OT-2.

Read abstract
Battleship frontend screenshot

Autonomous Labs, CMU x Dr. Josh Kangas

Co-designed a 4-week pre-college course on automated labs: GP-driven color matching and "Battleship" with pH indicator targeting. Students built agents to control the OT-2.

See the active-learning loop

Vision

Labs that never sleep

Robots should handle every repetitive task they reliably can so that scientists stay focused on questions, not chores. I'm building toward round-the-clock, parallelized lab operations that surface ground-truth data with traceable provenance.

Automation is not about replacing scientists; it is about freeing them to design better experiments, interpret richer data, and ship discoveries faster.

Contact

Let's collaborate

Reach out for roles, collaborations, or to swap notes on lab automation.