Research Associate

Sarah Smith Fund; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Tessel Biosciences in Cambridge, MA, is seeking a Research Associate to join the biology team focused on organotypic tissue culture assays. This hands-on role involves developing, executing, and automating high-throughput experiments to scale up assays for predicting drug safety.

You will work with primary human cells in 96-well Transwell plates, perform live-cell imaging and ELISA, document procedures meticulously, and collaborate with senior scientists to optimize workflows and automation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biology or related life sciences field
• At least 1 year of wet-lab experience
• Maintain sterile technique and handle mammalian cell culture at 96-well scale
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent documentation and organizational skills

Responsibilities

• Maintain sterile technique in all workflows
• Culture and maintain primary cells
• Plate and manage high-throughput 96 Transwell assays
• Modify manual workflows to incorporate automation
• Perform live-cell imaging and ELISA
• Maintain detailed lab notebook records and protocol revisions
• Troubleshoot experiments and work independently
• Collaborate with senior scientists on experimental design

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Fluorescence imaging

ELISA

High-throughput screening

Documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in biology or related life sciences field

Tools

Transwell plates

Lab automation equipment

Fluorescence microscopy

Job description

Job Description

Tessel is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to join our biology team focused on developing, executing, and automating cutting-edge organotypic tissue culture experiments. This is a hands-on role where you will help scale up the next generation of assays for predicting drug safety.

About the Role

You’ll be working in a small, collaborative science team running high-throughput barrier assay workflows using 96-well Transwell plates with primary human cells. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in mammalian cell culture, fluorescence imaging, ELISA, and high-throughput assays. You’ll build real expertise in assays that are central to pharma research pipelines, with room to pursue your own ideas as the work develops. Curiosity, drive, and scientific rigor are core parts of our company culture.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biology or a related life sciences field
• At least 1 year of hands-on experience in a wet lab setting (academic or industry)
• Proven ability to maintain sterile technique and handle mammalian cell culture at 96-well scale
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent documentation and organizational skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Transwell cultures
• Experience with lab automation equipment, such as liquid handlers
• Familiarity with fluorescence microscopy
• Basic coding or data analysis using Excel, Python, or R
• Experience using Benchling, Asana, or other time management software

Essential Duties

• Maintain safe and sterile technique in all workflows
• Culture and maintain primary cells
• Plate and manage high-throughput 96 Transwell barrier assays
• Modify manual workflows to incorporate automation
• Perform live-cell imaging, ELISA, and operate lab automation equipment
• Maintain detailed lab notebook records and protocol revisions
• Troubleshoot experiments and work independently
• Collaborate with senior scientists and provide input on experimental design

Other Responsibilities

• Participate in lab meetings and communicate results clearly
• Assist with reagent preparation and inventory tracking
• Contribute to protocol optimization and scaling efforts
• Engage with safety and compliance training as needed

Physical Demands

• Ability to work at a biosafety cabinet for extended periods
• Repetitive pipetting, especially in 96-well plate formats
• Occasional lifting of lab supplies (up to 25 lbs)

About the Team

We’re a growing team on a mission to help people with chronic disease worldwide by changing the way drug discovery is done. We pride ourselves in being "amphibious," with everyone building and learning at the intersection of wet lab (experiments) and dry lab (computation). We love good science, good food, and good puns. Are you in?

EEO Statement

Tessel Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status or any other category protected by law.

Please note that applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or transfer employment visas at this time.