Research Assistant II – Fluid Biomarker Diagnostics

Harvard University • Boston, MA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic Research Assistant II to join our team. You will help develop new diagnostic technologies for profiling clinically relevant biomarkers in human biofluids using cutting edge, ultra-sensitive approaches. A major focus of this position will be FEMOx, an ARPA-H-funded project to develop a rapid, non-invasive platform to assess fetal oxygenation risk. This position is for someone who is excited about science and enjoys working at the bench. You will work within a team and receive significant experimental training in both new and established techniques for profiling isolating and analyzing biomarkers from human biofluids. You will also make weekly presentations and provide updates of project data to the larger Wyss team, and prepare regular written summaries which will be integrated into project reports.

Requirements

• College background in biological science or related field and one or more years of lab experience in molecular biology or biochemistry is required.
• Higher education may count towards years of experience.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in a biological science or related field is strongly preferred.
• Two or more years of research experience is preferred.
• Experience with extracellular vesicle isolation, immunocapture, or biofluid sample processing is advantageous but not required.
• Experience with protein biochemistry (e.g., ELISA, Western blot, immunoisolation) or nucleic acid techniques (e.g. FISH, real-time PCR) is advantageous but not required.
• Experience with imaging techniques (e.g. fluorescence microscopy) and microfluidics is advantageous but not required.

Responsibilities

• Support the FEMOx project by optimizing and running assays to isolate, enrich, and characterize target biomarkers from biological samples with guidance from senior staff.
• With supervision from senior staff, help design and execute experiments for the development of new diagnostic technologies and biomarker assays using human biofluids.
• Perform molecular and biochemical assays to analyze RNA and protein targets under the supervision of senior staff.
• Assist with the development and testing of microfluidic workflows for ultrasensitive biomarker detection.
• Support the preparation of experimental data, summaries, and presentation materials for regular ARPA-H project meetings.
• With guidance from senior staff, attend and present data or progress updates at meetings within the Wyss Institute, including ARPA-H project meetings.
• Order supplies and perform support and lab maintenance activities.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree