About the Role:

We are seeking a hands-on Lab Research Assistant to support the daily operations of our antigen discovery platform and development programs, ensuring that our research activities run efficiently and reliably. This is a practical, execution‑focused role ideal for candidates who enjoy working at the bench and following established protocols. It also requires sufficient scientific understanding and sound judgment to navigate unexpected experimental situations and ensure that experiments run smoothly. You will carry out routine laboratory tasks and help maintain a well-organized, ready‑to‑run laboratory environment that supports the steady advancement of our scientific programs.

This position is well-suited for early career scientists seeking to deepen their technical expertise as well as experienced laboratory technicians who appreciate consistent, impactful bench work. You’ll play a critical role in enabling the team’s productivity, accuracy, and operational excellence.
This position provides meaningful scientific involvement, and it is designed for individuals who thrive in a fast paced, bench focused environment and are looking to contribute to Epitopea’s scientific activities and success.

Key Responsibilities:

Laboratory Operations

• Prepare and organize lab materials, reagents, buffers, and media; perform aliquoting and labeling.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of benches, biosafety cabinets, cold storage, and shared spaces.
• Help operation manager to:
  • Track inventory, monitor stock levels, and restock consumables; receive and store deliveries.
  • Support equipment setup, basic maintenance (e.g., routine checks, start-up/shutdown), and calibration scheduling.
• Adhere to safety procedures, waste management, and BSL-2 practices; assist with maintaining lab readiness (SOPs, logs, checklists), and expected to take over BSO duties.

Experimental Support

• Execute routine procedures following established SOPs with precision and consistency (e.g., sterile technique, accurate pipetting).
• Support predefined immunogenicity workflows, including:
  • Sample handling (including human blood–derived samples such as leukopaks, as trained).
  • T cell isolation/expansion under guidance and SOPs.
  • ELISpot support (plate set-up, loading, development, cleanup) as directed.
  • Flow cytometry support (sample preparation, including tetramer staining) as trained.
  • Assist scientists by preparing materials for runs, staging experiments, and executing defined steps.
• Support daily laboratory operations and experimental workflows, including:
  • Cell culture activities: routine maintenance of cell lines, passaging, thawing/freezing, initial expansion upon receipt, and basic cell line QC (e.g., mycoplasma testing, doubling time assessment).
  • Molecular biology techniques: assisting with protein and nucleic acid workflows such as Western blotting, ELISA, PCR, RNA extraction, and related assays.
  • Immunogenicity related support (as trained): sample handling, assisting in T cell isolation/expansion steps, and supporting assay setup or execution (e.g., ELISpot plate prep or flow cytometry sample preparation).
  • Record data accurately in ELN/LIMS or batch records; ensure traceability, labeling, and data integrity.

Administrative & Coordination Support

• Coordinate with Operations/Admin to place routine orders, track deliveries, and reconcile packing slips
• Maintain logs (equipment, temperature, cleaning, inventory) and archive documentation.
• Help schedule instrument maintenance, vendor visits, and calibrations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required in Immunology, Cell Biology, Biology, Life Sciences, or related field with 2– 5 years of work experience. Or Master’s degree with 1 – 2 years or work experience or 5 years or technician experience.
• Familiarity with basic lab techniques (sterile technique, pipetting, media/buffer prep).
• Comfort working with human primary samples (e.g., leukopaks) or willingness to be trained.
• High attention to detail; able to follow SOPs precisely and work to defined quality standards.
• Comfortable with repetitive, process-driven tasks; consistent execution at pace.
• Organized with good time management; reliable and proactive about lab readiness.
• Team-oriented; clear communicator; asks questions when uncertain.
• Documentation discipline (ELN/LIMS, batch records, checklists).

Preferred:

• Exposure to ELISpot and/or flow cytometry (incl. tetramer staining).
• Experience with cell culture (primary human T cells, cell lines) and BSL-2 practices.
• Familiarity with regulated or quality-oriented environments (e.g., GxP, CLIA).
• Experience with ELN/LIMS and basic data handling for assay runs.