Microbiologist I

IHRC INCORPORATED•Baton Rouge, LA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

IHRC, Inc. is seeking a Microbiologist I to support the Laboratory Research Branch (LRB) of the National Hansen’s Disease Program (NHDP). This full-time position, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will contribute to the understanding of leprosy complex bacteria (Mycobacterium leprae and M. lepromatosis) by supporting the development of molecular assays to determine bacterial viability. The role involves preparing culture media, conducting purification procedures for cellular components, performing enzymatic reactions for DNA splicing, and analyzing DNA/RNA post-PCR amplification. Additionally, the position requires performing nucleic acid quantitation, conducting animal manipulations on various mouse models and armadillos for immune response analysis and genotyping, assisting in experimental design, documenting and interpreting data, and submitting progress reports.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, or related discipline required.
Academic training in microbiology, nucleic acid purification, and PCR techniques.
Knowledge of molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, and/or immunology.
Experience involving standard microbiology and molecular biology laboratory techniques.
Excellent skills in documentation, and knowledge of safety requirements for research being performed.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, for interaction with internal and external stakeholders.
Experience with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
Must be United States citizen or permanent resident or have authorization for employment in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience working with leprosy complex bacteria (Mycobacterium leprae [M. leprae] and/or M. lepromatosis).
Previous experience performing animal manipulations, including injection and dissection of major organs and tissue samples.
Ability to work independently and yet maintain the flexibility to respond to requests for support of ongoing projects.

Responsibilities

Provide expertise in preparing complex culture media designed for various in vitro tissue and microbial cultures.
Conduct purification procedures for proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and/or other cellular components from complex biological extracts of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Perform complex enzymatic reactions to splice DNA into cloning vectors.
Perform DNA and RNA purification following PCR amplification for DNA analysis using agarose and polyacrylamide gels and automated DNA sequencing.
Perform nucleic acid quantitation using UV spectrophotometry.
Perform animal manipulations on armadillos (100 - 250), conventional mice (1000), knockout mice (750), and transgenic nude mice (350 - 700) to include injection and dissection of major organs and tissue samples for subsequent analysis of immune responses and genotyping leprosy complex bacteria.
Provide assistance in technical design of experiments.
Provide documentation and interpretation of data.
Submit Monthly and Quarterly progress reports.