I don't understand why they even bother reinventing the wheel. Biotech and lab techs aren't being paid FAANG salaries. They are hardly more expensive than minimum wage employees. Just hire some and get them to do the actual experiments.
Many have their hands tied. In the biopharma industry, there are strict NDAs and well enforced noncompetes that make it hard to move throughout the industry and sometimes even talk about the work.
I work today with someone who interned with Gilead. According to him, his NDA lasts until 2099 and covers "Anything and everything said, heard, seen, imagined or done" while under their employ that hasn't been made 100% public. His resume has just one line entry: "Intern, lab tech. Details NDA."
I work for a competitor for Gilead and we certainly don't apply these sorts of constraints on our interns. I just worked on a recommendation letter that describes his work in detail (while not containing anything truly proprietary).
