Microbiology Research Associate

ABOUT AVAILS:

Avails Medical, Inc., is a well-funded medical device start-up based in Menlo Park, California. We are a leader in the development of rapid, automated and fully electrical antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) technologies with our products eQUANT™ and eAST™ platforms based on a novel bio-sensor for rapid infectious disease detection. In 2024, we have announced 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for our groundbreaking eQUANT™ system. The eQUANT™ system is a leap forward in combating antibiotic resistance, providing a standardized inoculum (0.5 McFarland equivalent) directly from positive blood cultures.

We are dedicated in our drive to make rapid AST accessible and affordable to hospital microbiology labs, empowering them to provide actionable infectious disease treatment information with simplified laboratory workflows to save lives, reduce outcome costs and reduce the threat of global antimicrobial resistance.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

As part of our ongoing growth, we have an opening for a Microbiology Research Associate. The successful candidate will perform and optimize a wide range of microorganism growth assays for developing rapid detection of infections and bacterial resistance using electrical bio-sensor technology.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Day-to-day design, planning and execution of experiments supporting assay development
• Effectively communicates project status to supervisors, peers and other staff and elicits help from others as necessary
• Presents scientific data within group meetings or when appropriate
• Prepare or participate in the preparation of controlled documents (protocols, test specifications, SOP’s, Associated Documents, etc.) in conjunction with the requirements of the applicable standards and/or client instructions
• Participates in and supports all Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement endeavors for the laboratory, as applicable
• Maintains clear and up-to-date notebook records of research objects, methods, and result
• Prepares buffers, growth media, other reagents, and antibiotic stocks as required for experimentation
• Maintains and propagates bacterial stocks
• Manages time effectively to complete assignments in the expected time frame, accurately and safely
• Responsible for assisting in ordering and inventory
• In addition to an employee’s typical work schedule, this position may require employees to work weekends, split shifts, varying shift schedules, and holidays if needed by the Company. Other duties may apply as necessary

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's degree in clinical microbiology strongly preferred; However, studies in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or related field of study will also be considered
• Minimum of 1 year experience in research and/or development environment or clinical microbiology laboratory preferred
• Research skills in clinical microbiological techniques are desired, including microbial culture, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and bacterial ID
• Excellent aseptic technique
• Exceptional pipette and liquid handling skills
• Eager to learn and apply a large repertoire of bench skills while gaining hands-on experience in a fast-paced assay development laboratory
• Able to work independently and in a team environment
• Able and willing to accept direction from senior group members and interact effectively within highly productive and agile research teams