Research Assistant - Phage & Bacterial R&D
$25 - $37/hr
Junior, Mid
Master's
Madison, WI, USA
In Person
Biology & BiotechTranslational Research & Bench Biology
About the job
Requirements
- 1–3 years of relevant laboratory experience, ideally in a biotech or industry setting; highly hands-on academic experience is also considered.
- Demonstrated competency with the listed core responsibilities.
- Strong attention to detail and contamination-control habits.
- Ability to work on-site in a BSL-2 laboratory and complete required safety training.
- Ability to perform physical laboratory work, including lifting up to 35 pounds.
- Clear communication, reliability, and ability to follow written standard operating procedures and protocols.
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, including picking colonies, streaking, culturing, preparing samples, and maintaining strain stocks.
- Execute phage assays, including plaque assays, spot assays, host-range and EOP-style readouts, and quantitation.
- Run growth curves and plate-based assays, including 96-well formats and use of a plate reader.
- Prepare media, agar plates, and stock solutions, and support general lab readiness by mixing reagents, labeling, and using sterile technique.
- Support NGS-related sample preparation tasks, including nucleic acid extraction and handling, sample quality control, and sequencing preparation steps as assigned.
- Maintain R&D documentation, including laboratory notebook records.
Desired Qualifications
- Phage experience, including plaque assays, spot assays, phage handling, or 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 electronic laboratory notebook systems.
- A Master's degree.
About the company
Tabula Bioscience uses machine learning to improve disease prediction and personalized medicine. Its core product aims to design programmable, strain-specific antimicrobials that target bacteria via bacteriophages, with R&D focused on phage therapy and gram-negative bacteria. The models leverage unlabeled genomic data from humans and other species, incorporate expert priors and epigenetic information, and use probabilistic programming to build mechanistic biological explanations. The goal is to narrow the gap between heritability and prediction to enable more effective, individualized treatments.
Company Size
N/A
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
N/A
Founded
N/A
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- August 2026 site says Tabula is treating real patients six months after launch.
- 2026 hiring shows active Madison phage R&D on E. coli, Pseudomonas, and NGS.
- Investors include George Church, Michael Seibel, Emmett Shear, Maven Ventures, and Version One.
What critics are saying
- PitchBook still shows only a 2022 $2M seed, signaling thin capitalization.
- Tabula’s 2026 job ads target temporary bench labor, not scaled manufacturing.
- One failed clinical run in 2026-2027 ends Tabula’s financing and platform credibility.
What makes Tabula unique
- Ammon Bartram and Michael Poon combine Triplebyte, Twitch, MIT, and polygenic-screening experience.
- Tabula’s August 2026 site claims AI designs DNA for individual human infections.
- Forward BIOLABS lists Tabula as a precision antimicrobial therapy startup.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Paid Vacation
- 401(k) Company Match