Research Assistant

About the Company

Sapho Bio is a revenue-generating biotechnology company developing a rapid microbiology release platform designed for the precision medicine era. We are a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers committed to transforming the lot release process through innovation, speed, and accuracy.

Our culture emphasizes agency, innovation, and continual learning. Following the successful validation and launch of our first proprietary assay, we now have over 30 customers and are growing quickly.

About The Role

Do you love biology and problem solving? We are looking for a rigorous, detail-oriented Research Assistant to join our lab in San Carlos. You will work with a range of technologies and assays, and you will be directly responsible for sterility testing and endotoxin testing on pharmaceutical products.

Most of this work happens in a biosafety cabinet, so you should have demonstrable experience with aseptic technique, from either an academic or a professional setting.

You are a good fit for this role if you are rigorous, smart, and above all hard-working.

Application Requirements:

• Your cover letter should give clear examples of the following:
  • An instance in which you demonstrated an exceptional work ethic
  • An instance in which you employed aseptic technique
  • An instance in which you demonstrated a very high attention to detail
• Your application must include an undergraduate transcript in order to be considered
• This job is not 9-5
  • This is an opportunity to work very hard, learn a lot, and develop skills that will serve you well throughout your career
  • This is not an opportunity to focus on work life balance

Who You Are:

• BS in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Chemistry, or BEng
• Demonstrable experience with aseptic technique
• Ability to work independently while maintaining safety standards
• Excellent documentation, organization, and communication skills
• Live within a 30 minute commute of San Carlos

Nice to Haves:

• Prior experience working in a biotech laboratory
• Proficiency with LIMS or ELN (we use Benchling)
• Experience operating and troubleshooting rapid sterility platforms such as Celsis Accel or qPCR based methods
• Familiarity with USP <71>, <1223>, and <85>
• Knowledge of environmental monitoring or other QC microbiology procedures

Responsibilities:

• Prepare, handle, and incubate media and test systems under aseptic conditions in a cleanroom or isolator environment
• Perform sterility testing of drug products, raw materials, and components using membrane filtration or direct inoculation
• Conduct bacterial endotoxin testing using CRL Endosafe according to USP <85>
• Handle microbial cultures, including test strains such as S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, and B. subtilis, for growth promotion and suitability testing
• Support qualification and routine monitoring of cleanrooms, isolators, biosafety cabinets, and autoclaves
• Accurately record data, maintain laboratory notebooks, and ensure traceability
• Assist in deviation investigations
• Contribute to method qualification and validation, and to periodic verification of testing methods
• Follow SOPs, protocols, and regulatory guidance
• Whatever else is needed for the company to succeed

Details:

• This is a full-time in-person role in San Carlos, CA
• The compensation for this role is $100,000 along with equity options in the company and benefits

Life at Sapho Bio

• High-Impact Work: Help transform pharmaceutical testing and accelerate patient access to life-saving therapies.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Financial Security: 401(k) with company matching and company-paid life insurance.
• Time to Recharge: Unlimited PTO and company-recognized holidays.
• Connection & Community: Team lunches, office events, and offsite gatherings.
• Competitive Compensation: Market-leading salary and meaningful equity participation.
• Fast-Paced Environment: Join a team that moves quickly, learns continuously, and executes with purpose.
• World-Class Team: Work alongside experienced scientists, engineers, and operators.
• Prime Location: Sunny, collaborative workspace in San Carlos.