Application Instructions:

Employment History Include your last ten (10) years of employment history, or length of your employment history if less, including all positions (even those that are not relevant to this position) and periods of unemployment. Incomplete information could disqualify you from further consideration.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Regulatory Biology Laboratory of Assistant Professor Dannielle Engle, PhD is seeking a Research Assistant to be a part of a multi-disciplinary team working to identify novel therapeutic strategies and diagnostic indicators for pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The successful candidate will perform tasks and experiments to support the research priorities help with the day-to-day management of the lab. Primary responsibilities include mouse colony maintenance, tissue culture support, laboratory inventory and organization, record keeping.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

(50%) Animal and Molecular Biology Support

• Maintenance of mouse colonies, including mouse handling, setting up breeders, weaning, tagging, tailing, and genotyping
• Participation in therapeutic intervention studies, includes dosing, clinical observation, ultrasound imaging, and necropsy
• Mouse survival surgeries
• Tissue processing for flow cytometry and histology, immunohistochemistry and other staining
• Execution of molecular biology techniques such as cloning, DNA/RNA isolation, and PCR
• Coordination daily tasks with Dr. Engle and others in the lab

(25%) Tissue Culture Support

• Upkeep, supply, inventory and organization of the tissue culture facilities, training of new tissue culture users, and coordination with other tissue culture room users from other labs
• Generation, expansion, cryopreservation, protein/RNA/DNA isolation and characterization of mouse and human organoid and monolayer cultures
• Making general tissue culture and organoid culture medium, including the production and quality control of conditioned media
• Making retro- and lentivirus, transduction and transfection of cells/organoids

(25%) Lab Support

• General lab upkeep: supply, inventory, organization, cleaning
• Manage and organize resource requests and support services as needed
• Communicate and maintain working relationships with vendors
• Place purchase orders, maintain fund number reports, approve lab purchase requisitions and recharges
• Submit promo and warranty claims, request quotations, organize and coordinate demos
• Maintain lab manual and assist with new lab inductions: SOPs, trainings

EXPERIENCE

Required: 

• No professional experience required.
• Demonstrated experience and application of molecular biology knowledge preferably in biochemistry and cell culture.
• Demonstrated experience with general lab maintenance, including cleaning, stocking supply inventory, and ensuring the maintenance of a sterile environment.

Preferred:

• Prior experience in a laboratory setting
• Prior experience as a lab technician or equivalent related experience.

EDUCATION

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences or related field

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Required:

• Theoretical knowledge of biological sciences.
• Strong organizational skills and time management skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with PC and MAC operating systems, standard business office equipment and commonly used software and tools, such as Microsoft Office, electronic mail, and the internet.
• Ability to perform accurate data entry using PC and Mac and lab notebook.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to work effectively and productively in a team-oriented environment
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with diverse groups.
• Demonstrated skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with personnel at all levels.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Must be willing to work in an animal-related research environment.
• Must be willing to work an adjusted schedule to support research needs.
• Successful completion of the Institute’s background investigation.
• Must be willing to sign confidentiality agreement

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position requires constant adjusting focus, grasping, hearing, keying, seeing, sitting, talking, analyzing, calculating, communicating, reading, reasoning, writing, exposure to animals, and working inside.