Dominic Ky

Dom is an Automation Engineer / Research Associate on Octant’s High-Throughput Screening team, where he develops scalable workflows that connect complex biology with reliable drug discovery operations. Since joining Octant in 2022 (formerly worked at Bayer and Zymergen) he has helped advance screening programs across rare disease and other therapeutic areas, with a focus on assay onboarding, 1536-well automation, data quality, and execution on Octant’s Navigator platform.‍

‍Working across the bench and automation, Dom helps teams translate recurring operational challenges into better protocols, cleaner data, and more efficient screening systems. His contributions include scaling assays from 384- to 1536-well formats, improving throughput while reducing cost, troubleshooting instrumentation, and coordinating closely with Ginkgo Bioworks as one of the first users of their Reconfigurable Automation Cart system.‍

‍Dom is also a dedicated mentor and community builder. He founded and manages Octant’s high school summer internship program, which has hosted two rising 12th graders each year since 2024, and helps lead partnerships with local high school programs to bring biotechnology opportunities to underrepresented youth.‍

‍Outside of work, Dom enjoys sunsets, stargazing, and adventuring with his favorite humans and canines.