Research Assistant - Phage & Bacterial R&D

Pantera Capital; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 34,440 - 50,971; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

Tabula Bioscience is seeking a hands-on Research Assistant to support a fast-moving microbiology and molecular biology R&D program focused on bacteriophages and gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and Pseudomonas.

This temp-to-hire role targets candidates with 1–3 years of biotech lab experience and a strong ability to follow SOPs in a BSL-2 environment. On-site in Wisconsin, the role involves PCR, gels, cloning, culture of BSL-2 organisms, phage assays, growth curves, and NGS prep tasks,

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of biotech/industry lab experience, with hands-on SOP execution.
• Strong attention to detail and contamination control.
• Ability to work on-site in a BSL-2 lab and complete safety training.
• Comfortable with physical lab work and lifting up to 35 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine molecular biology workflows (PCR, gels, basic cloning, DNA/RNA handling).
• Conduct bacterial culture work with BSL-2 gram-negative organisms (E. coli, Pseudomonas).
• Execute phage assays (plaque/spot assays) and related readouts.
• Run growth curves and plate-based assays, including 96-well formats and plate reader usage.
• Prepare media, plates, and stock solutions; maintain lab readiness and safety.

Tools

PCR

Agarose gels

Plaque assays

Spot assays

Plate reader

Benchling

Job description

Overview

About the role: We’re seeking a hands-on Research Assistant to support a fast-moving microbiology and molecular biology R&D program focused on bacteriophages and gram-negative bacteria (including E. coli and Pseudomonas). This is a temp-to-hire position for someone with 1–3 years of biotech/industry lab experience who is detail-oriented, contamination-conscious, and able to execute on SOPs with a path toward contributing to research.

Pay: $25.00 - $37.00 per hour

Responsibilities

• Perform routine molecular biology workflows, including PCR, agarose gels, basic molecular cloning, and DNA/RNA handling.
• Conduct bacterial culture work with BSL-2 gram-negative organisms: picking colonies, streaking, culturing, preparing samples, and maintaining strain stocks.
• Execute phage assays including plaque assays / spot assays, and related workflows (e.g., host range / EOP-style readouts and quantitation).
• Run growth curves and plate-based assays, including work in 96-well formats and use of a plate reader.
• Prepare media, agar plates, and stock solutions; support general lab readiness (mixing reagents, labeling, sterile technique).
• Support NGS-related sample preparation tasks (e.g., nucleic acid extraction and handling, sample QC, and sequencing prep steps as assigned).
• Maintain excellent documentation in an R&D environment (lab notebooking; Benchling experience is a plus).

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of relevant lab experience, ideally in a biotech/industry setting (academic experience considered if highly hands-on).
• Demonstrated competency with each core responsibility above.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent contamination control habits.
• Ability to work on-site in a BSL-2 lab and complete required safety training.
• Comfortable with physical lab work, including lifting up to 35 lbs.
• Clear communication, reliability, and ability to follow written SOPs and protocols.

Nice to have

• Phage experience (plaque assays, spot assays, phage handling/quantitation).
• Experience with E. coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, or other gram-negative pathogens in BSL-2 settings.
• Experience with nucleic acid extraction and NGS sample preparation workflows.
• Familiarity with Benchling or similar ELN systems.
• MS degree is a plus (but hands-on lab skill is most important).

About Tabula Bioscience

Tabula is developing a new class of phage therapies to address antibiotic resistant infections. We are a team of phage, machine learning, and genomics researchers from MIT and Harvard.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person