Preferred Networks, Inc.
- Job Type
- Drug Discovery Researcher
Preferred Networks (PFN) is seeking researchers for its Drug Discovery division.
Computational science in drug discovery is advancing rapidly, with applications progressing in areas such as identifying biomolecules that can be drug targets, predicting their structure and function, and designing, searching for, and optimizing drug candidate molecules (predicting pharmacological activity, toxicity, and kinetics).
PFN's Drug Discovery team provides pharmaceutical companies with services that highly integrate cutting-edge technologies, including the P-FEP binding free energy calculation service, with domain knowledge in the drug discovery field. Currently, we are further expanding this proven technological foundation, aiming to build a comprehensive drug discovery platform that consistently covers a wider range of drug discovery processes.
Our team is seeking members to develop new technologies that can solve challenges in the drug discovery field. We are seeking professionals who resonate with PFN's mission and values [https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/blog/2025-mission-values/](https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/blog/2025-mission-values/), possess exceptional technical skills to implement cutting-edge theories and "make the real world computable," and have the passion to take initiative (Be Proactive).
Team Mission
- To contribute to people's health by supporting the creation of innovative medicines using cutting-edge computational science.
Job Description
- Research and development and commercialization of new technologies in the drug discovery field.
- You will be responsible for designing and implementing innovative algorithms that go beyond mere software use.
- You will be responsible for various fields, primarily those listed in the application qualifications (required).
- Collaborative research with other institutions (pharmaceutical companies, academia, etc.).
- Research on the latest research papers and acquisition and implementation of algorithms.
- Collaboration with other teams within the company.
References
- Some of the research and development conducted by PFN to date.
- Drug Discovery HP: [https://projects.preferred.jp/drug-discovery/](https://projects.preferred.jp/drug-discovery/) (Content is somewhat outdated)
- Technical Blog: [https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/tag/drug-discovery/](https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/tag/drug-discovery/)
- Related Keywords
- Neural Network Potential
- Machine Learning Interatomic Potential
- Protein Folding, Structure-aware prediction
- ADMET prediction
- AI molecular generation
- Computational chemistry and molecular simulation
- Molecular docking
- Molecular dynamics (extended sampling MD, Free Energy Perturbation, etc.)
- Structure-based drug design (SBDD)
- Ligand-based drug design (LBDD)
- Chemoinformatics
We are hiring a Researcher to drive Preferred Networks' (PFN) Drug Discovery initiatives.
The advancements in computational science in drug discovery have been remarkable, and its applications are expanding across fields ranging from the identification of biomolecular drug targets and the prediction of their structures and functions to the design, exploration, and optimization of drug candidate molecules (including predictions for pharmacological activity, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics).
The PFN Drug Discovery team provides pharmaceutical companies with solutions, such as the binding free energy calculation service P-FEP, that integrate advanced computational methodologies with deep domain expertise. We are currently building on these core technologies to create a comprehensive "Drug Discovery Platform" – an end-to-end solution aimed to accelerate a wider range of processes in the drug discovery workflow.
We are recruiting a researcher to lead the research and development of novel technologies that address critical challenges in drug discovery. We seek a professional who deeply resonates with our Mission and Values [(https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/blog/2025-mission-values/) ](https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/blog/2025-mission-values/) and possesses the exceptional engineering capability to implement cutting-edge theory into robust software.
Team Mission
- Contribute to human health by facilitating the creation of innovative medicines using cutting-edge computational science.
Responsibilities
- Conduct research, development, and productization of new technologies in the drug discovery field
- Design and implement innovative algorithms, rather than applying existing software.
- Work primarily on the areas specified in the Qualifications, while also handling a variety of other areas
- Conduct collaborative research with external institutions
- Survey the latest research papers, and master and implement algorithms
- Collaborate with other teams within the company
Additional Information
- Introduction to our research
- Drug Discovery HP:[https://projects.preferred.jp/drug-discovery/](https://projects.preferred.jp/drug-discovery/)(old)
- Technical Blog:[https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/tag/drug-discovery/](https://tech.preferred.jp/ja/tag/drug-discovery/)
- Keywords related to our activities
- Neural Network Potential / Machine Learning Interatomic Potential
- Protein Folding, Structure-aware prediction
- ADMET Prediction
- AI-driven Molecular Design
- Computational Chemistry, Molecular Simulation
-Molecular Docking
- Molecular Dynamics (e.g., Enhanced Sampling MD, Free Energy Perturbation)
- Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD)
- Ligand-Based Drug Design (LBDD)
- Chemoinformatics
