Lab Assistant III - Ian Swinburne Lab (9602C) - 14290 About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: January 22, 2021

Departmental Overview

The Department of Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB) is home to undergraduate and graduate academic programs as well as Faculty Research performed by faculty organized in five divisions:

• Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
• Cell and Developmental Biology
• Genetics, Genomics and Development
• Immunology and Pathogenesis
• Neurobiology

The teaching and research activities of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) concern the molecular structures and processes of cellular life and their roles in the function, reproduction, and development of living organisms. This agenda covers a broad range of specialized disciplines, including biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, structural biology, genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, cell biology, developmental biology, tumor biology, microbiology, immunology, pathogenesis and neurobiology. The types of living organisms from which the departmental faculty draws its working materials are as diverse as its disciplinary specializations, ranging from viruses and microbes through plants, roundworms, annelids, arthropods, and mollusks to fish, amphibia, and mammals. The faculty of the department is organized into five divisions: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Cell and Developmental Biology; Genetics, Genomics and Development; Neurobiology; and Immunology and Pathogenesis.

The Departments of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) and Integrative Biology (IB) together are among the largest academic departments at UC Berkeley. By several measures (including number of faculty and students, budget, and assigned square feet), these departments are larger than many UCB colleges and schools. The two departments represent over 186 faculty FTE (including Adjuncts, Professors of the Graduate School, active emeriti and 15 HHMI professors); 150 postdocs and other research positions; 375 graduate students; 80 department staff members; and 8 recharge centers. Financial resources include approximately $51M in annual extramural funding (which accounts for over half of the total sponsored research awards in the College of Letters & Science) and over $46M other fund sources. The department has 1,800 declared undergraduate majors (the largest majors on the Berkeley campus) and a total annual enrollment in classes of ~20,000. Department personnel are currently housed in seven buildings located in three widely separated parts of the campus.

The Swinburne lab integrates genetic approaches with live imaging to study organ formation and function in zebrafish.

The position offered is for a lab assistant to help build our team, responsible for ordering, safety, and maintenance of instruments (various microscopes), as well as strain collections, production, and databases. This will involve growing and maintaining bacterial and zebrafish cultures, and understanding basic molecular and imaging techniques. The hired person will additionally supervise and take part in preparation of reagents, and in training of newcomers to the lab.



Responsibilities

• Maintain strain collections and databases, involving growing and maintaining bacterial and zebrafish cultures; generate new strains using standard zebrafish protocols and PCR screening.
• Maintain and help running experiments on various microscopes.
• Initiate mentoring of newcomers to the lab. Introduce them to basic protocols, available resources, and lab etiquette.
• Serve as lab representative responsible for all safety matters (chemical, biological, etc). Will also be in charge of maintenance of instruments (mainly microscopes).
• Responsible for taking inventory of and ordering supplies through approved vendors in the BearBuy system.
• Manage and distribute routine lab chores (medium and plate preparation, etc.) between lab members.
• Document and update common lab protocols.

Required Qualifications

• Technical assignments at this level typically require scientific knowledge and skills which might be expected from incumbents at the college "upper division" level or from incumbents who have acquired equivalent knowledge and skills through experience.
• Basic microbiology techniques and aseptic practices.
• Experience with biochemical and molecular biology techniques.
• Familiarity with basic computer software (knowledge of working with Excel/word/PowerPoint, etc).

Education/Training:

Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and three years of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in the natural, physical or social sciences and two years of laboratory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in zebrafish research (line maintenance, mating).
• Experience in zebrafish specific protocols - microinjecting to fish to create transgenic strains, constructing injectable DNA constructs (by PCR, ligations, cell transformation, plasmid extraction, etc.)
• Some familiarity with computer programming.
  

Salary & Benefits

This position is a non-exempt, bi-weekly paid position. Hourly pay for this role is commensurate with experience.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit:

https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single attachment when applying.

Other Information

This position is governed by the terms and conditions in the agreement for the Technical Unit (TX) between the University of California and the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE). The current bargaining agreement manual can be found at:
http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/tx/index.html


Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant see:

https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf
For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct



To apply, visit https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psp/ucb/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=21&JobOpeningId=14290&PostingSeq=1





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