Would you like to be the cube designer? It's a reliable gig and a fascinating window on the scientific community. It's complex, high-touch, and not lucrative. Learning the basics could be pretty quick for the right person, getting good takes interest and experience.

CrystalProteins has been running for over 20 years and completed thousands of projects, mainly proteins, also all sorts of other science. It's mostly just me. I don't do any marketing, the product speaks for itself and I've never wanted to scale past what one person can do. It's design only, I work in partnership with laser glass manufacturer Precision Crystal. In the last 10 years, average net per year was $57K.

What's required? General literacy in and love of science. Improvisational coding; 3D design skills; willingness to learn a lot about structural biology and its imaging techniques. A substantial desktop computer. A Rhinoceros license. A lot of patience with academic freeware.

Socially, customer service is everything. There's a lot of emailing with scientists and their colleagues, being respectful of their time and needs and unfailingly courteous. They're great customers, I've never needed anything but patience to get paid, however when it's time to write awkward emails or pick up the phone, that's part of the job.

Like every service business the work is irregular. It's a part-time job as it stands, but not compatible with a 9-to-5. It's possible it could could grow. It hasn't been tried: someone with domain knowledge in molecular biology, a professional-level programmer, or someone with ability to invest and manage, might take it much farther than I have.

Drop a line if you might be interested.

— Bathsheba, May 2026