Microbiology Associate: Fermentation & Analysis

Precise Systems Inc.; Aberdeen (MD); On-site; USD 57,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

Disability insurance

Job summary

Precise Systems Inc. is seeking an Associate Microbiologist to support lab activities validating bacterial strains for production of target molecules.

The role involves routine microbiology, bench-scale fermentation, data collection, and assisting in optimizing growth and production conditions. This in-person position requires the ability to work at the Aberdeen, MD facility, follow SOPs, ensure safety, and contribute to cost estimates for lab-scale production while advancing through

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a closely related field.
• 0-2 years' experience with the duties above.
• Coursework, research, internship, or laboratory experience involving microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, fermentation, or related disciplines.
• Basic knowledge of bacterial culture techniques, aseptic practices, and laboratory safety principles.

Responsibilities

• Culture, maintain, label, store, and preserve bacterial strains using established laboratory procedures.
• Prepare culture media, buffers, reagents, standards, and laboratory consumables.
• Perform routine aseptic techniques, including inoculation, plating, dilution, colony isolation, and culture monitoring.
• Assist with strain-validation experiments under established protocols and supervisory direction.
• Support operation and monitoring of bench-scale fermentation reactors up to 3 liters.
• Record fermentation conditions and observations, including temperature, pH, agitation, aeration, dissolved oxygen, sampling times, and culture appearance.
• Collect process samples and perform routine assays to measure bacterial growth, culture health, substrate use, and target-molecule output.
• Enter, organize, check, and summarize experimental data in laboratory notebooks, spreadsheets, and approved electronic systems.
• Assist senior staff with data review, preparation of graphs and tables, and identification of trends in growth and production performance.
• Support comparisons of media formulations, process conditions, and material use to help estimate laboratory-scale production costs.
• Clean, inspect, and assist with routine maintenance of laboratory equipment, glassware, fermentation systems, and work areas.
• Maintain inventory of reagents, media components, consumables, and bacterial stocks; notify the supervisor of supply needs.
• Follow approved standard operating procedures, laboratory safety requirements, biosafety practices, chemical hygiene procedures, and waste-disposal requirements.
• Participate in training, demonstrate increasing technical independence, and complete developmental assignments as directed.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the developmental nature of the position.

Skills

Aseptic techniques

Lab safety principles

Record keeping

Following written/verbal instructions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in microbiology or related field

Job description

Precise Systems Inc. is seeking an Associate Microbiologist to support lab activities validating bacterial strains for production of target molecules.

The role involves routine microbiology, bench-scale fermentation, data collection, and assisting in optimizing growth and production conditions. This in-person position requires the ability to work at the Aberdeen, MD facility, follow SOPs, ensure safety, and contribute to cost estimates for lab-scale production while advancing through