Sr. Research Technician / Research Assistant - Aging & Metabolism
Department: Aging & Metabolism - Beckstead
The Beckstead Lab is looking for a Senior Research Technician or a Research Assistant to conduct basic research on aging, neurodegeneration, and reward-related brain pathways in mice. Primary duties will include performing immunohistochemistry on mouse brain sections and fluorescent imaging/microscopy with the assistance of the OMRF imaging core. Duties will also include maintaining mouse colonies, including husbandry of genetically-modified lines, monitoring the diet of some groups of mice, and simple genotyping with PCR. Secondary duties (as time permits) will include assisting with performing behavioral experiments, including operant drug self-administration experiments, locomotor and other assays, assisting with the ordering of supplies and reagents, and other supportive lab duties. Secondary duties may eventually be expanded to include performing survival surgeries on rodents (including jugular catheter implantation, virus injections, and cannulae placement).
Minimum Qualifications
BA/BS degree typically in one of the biological sciences, physics, or chemistry or equivalent years of professional, paid, relevant laboratory experience.
Preferred Qualifications
1 year of relevant lab experience and/or 2+ years of experience with immunohistochemistry, imaging, and mouse genotyping; MA/MS degree.
Relevant skills should include some experience with immunohistochemistry as well as imaging and microscopy, experience extracting brains from rodents, knowledge of basic mouse handling, statistical procedures, as well as methods and practices typical to neuroscience. Advanced computer skills (or the ability to learn those skills) are necessary, including data acquisition, Microsoft Office, order processing, and methods for backing up data. Finally, the candidate must demonstrate ethical behavior at all times and a high level of scientific rigor, must be detail-oriented, and able to work independently as well as part of a team.
Work hours
Typically Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.
Physical Demands
Regularly required to stand, use manual dexterity, talk or hear; Frequently required to walk and reach with hands and arms; occasionally sit; frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds; vision abilities include close vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Potential exposure to fumes, airborne particles, or rodent dander. May work with toxic, caustic chemicals, radioactive materials, liquid nitrogen, human tissue or blood. Potential risk of electrical shock. Occasional exposure to cold 4C, and/or extreme cold -80C from freezers. Noise level is usually moderate.
Apply online at http://omrf.peopleadmin.com/postings/3684