Day Zero Diagnostics (DZD) is an exciting revolutionizing infectious disease diagnostics, by leveraging cutting-edge sample prep technologies, whole genome sequencing and machine learning. We are building the next generation of IVDs, able to perform comprehensive bacterial species ID and antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility (AMR/S) profiling in less than 8 hours of sample receipt, without the need for culture.
Our first application is for Sepsis. Sepsis is responsible for about a third of hospital deaths and costs hospitals in the US about $24B annually. Using the current culture-based approach for pathogen ID and AST that takes 2-5 days and has a 40% failure rate, patients with Sepsis are treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, leading to significant toxicity, higher rates of organ injury, increased risk of c. difficile infection, and contributing to the growth of the antibiotic resistance problem, globally.
By providing an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis within the first cycle of treatment, patients can get appropriate antibiotic therapy for systemic infections such as sepsis, reducing hospital treatment durations and costs while positively impacting patient outcomes.
At DZD, we are passionate about our mission of modernizing infectious diseases diagnosis and treatment. Employees gain experience in a multidisciplinary and fast-paced start-up, and have ample opportunities to acquire new skills, engage with emerging technologies, work closely with our accomplished team, and communicate their results, all while working in a supportive and energetic environment.
Summary
We are seeking a Computational Intern that has experience and/or interest in Computational Biology or Data Science. You will get the chance to work with senior engineers and scientists to develop novel tools and research applications for studying bacterial genomics. Candidates will gain experience in a multidisciplinary and fast-paced environment and will have the opportunity to acquire new skills while working closely with an accomplished team in a supportive and energetic environment. We value intellectual curiosity and a strong work ethic and look for candidates who are both excited to contribute their expertise and eager to broaden their skillset to new areas.
Primary Responsibilities
Depending on your interest and background, you will be able to work under the direction of senior scientists and engineers on various projects, including:
- Building statistical and analytical tools to research and support machine learning models
- Developing, implementing, and testing machine learning models for predicting phenotypic traits of bacteria from genomic sequences
- Implementing numerically optimized CPU/GPU algorithms Implementing analytical tools for reporting hospital outbreaks of bacterial infections
- Performing bioinformatic analyses on bacterial genomic data
- Engineering cloud computational pipelines for NGS data, including Illumina and MinION sequencing data
Qualifications
- Bachelor's, master's, or PhD student in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or equivalent
- Fluency in Python; Familiarity with git
- Data Science interns: Familiarity with PyTorch, TensorFlow, or other machine learning frameworks helpful
- Computational Biology interns: Familiarity with NGS data analysis, particularly ONT MinION data, helpful
- Highly motivated and independent, with the ability to work in a dynamic team environment
- Strong oral and written communications skills
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail