Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD)

micro1 Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

micro1 Inc. is seeking a Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD) for a remote, contractor role. You will design high‑level microbiome and translational bioinformatics problems to train AI systems, and assess model outputs for scientific rigor.

You will develop rubrics based on primary literature, and apply expertise across 16S, shotgun metagenomics, virome analysis, biomarker discovery, and omics integration. The role emphasizes clear written explanations and peer review.

Qualifications

• PhD in microbiology, bioinformatics, computational biology, biomedical sciences, immunology or epidemiology.
• Hands-on wet lab or equivalent research experience in academic or industry labs.
• Proficient written and spoken English (C1 or higher).

Responsibilities

• Design and write challenging, expert-level scientific problems in microbiome, metagenomics and translational bioinformatics with clear solutions.
• Review AI model outputs for scientific accuracy and depth of reasoning.
• Develop rubrics and reference answers grounded in primary literature and established methods.
• Apply domain knowledge across 16S, shotgun metagenomics, virome analysis, biomarker discovery and precision medicine.
• Provide clear written explanations of reasoning for experts to follow and validate.
• Meet quality standards through iterative feedback and peer review.

Skills

Hands-on research

English proficiency (C1+)

Statistics & ML

Programming (Python/R)

Bash & workflow tools

Scientific content review/writing

Education

PhD in Microbiology / Bioinformatics / Computational Biology / Biomedical Sciences / Immunology / Epidemiology (or related)

Tools

QIIME2

Kraken2

MetaPhlAn

HUMAnN

MAG assembly/binning

virome analysis

Job description

Job Title:

Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD)

Job Type:

Contractor

Location:

Remote(Worldwide)

Job Summary:

In this role, you'll apply your expertise to help train next-generation AI systems. Your work will shape how models learn, reason, and perform through high-quality, real-world input.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design and write challenging, expert-level scientific problems in microbiome/metagenomics, clinical and translational bioinformatics, and related life sciences, with clear, verifiable solutions.
2. Review and evaluate AI model outputs for scientific accuracy, rigor, and depth of reasoning, catching subtle errors non-specialists would miss.
3. Develop detailed rubrics and reference answers grounded in primary literature and established methodology.
4. Apply domain expertise across areas such as 16S and shotgun metagenomics, virome/host-microbiome analysis, biomarker discovery, clinical genomics, and omics-driven precision medicine.
5. Provide clear written explanations of your reasoning so other experts can follow and validate it.
6. Meet quality standards through iterative feedback and peer review.

Required Qualifications (MUST)

1. PhD in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, Epidemiology, or a closely related field.
2. Hands-on research experience in an academic or industry lab (wetlab experience is a plus).
3. Professional written and spoken English (C1 or higher).

Preferred Skills

1. Postdoctoral or industry research experience in microbiome, clinical, or translational research.
2. Publication record, ideally first-author papers in relevant journals.
3. Microbiome tools: QIIME2, Kraken2, MetaPhlAn, HUMAnN, MAG assembly/binning, virome analysis.
4. Clinical/translational: TCGA, UK Biobank, biomarker discovery, survival analysis, EHR + omics integration, oncology/immunology genomics.
5. Statistics and ML for high-dimensional biological data.
6. Programming: Python and/or R (required in practice), Bash, workflow tools.
7. Experience reviewing, benchmarking, or writing scientific content.