Research Technician- Barton Lab

Howard Hughes Medical Institute • Berkeley, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has an exciting opportunity for a Research Technician to join the research team in the Barton Lab at The University of California, Berkeley. The Barton lab wants to understand how the immune system recognizes and responds to threats while limiting damage to our own cells and tissues, including the beneficial microbes that live on and within us. The team studies immune recognition in the intestine with the goal of determining how the host discriminates between the beneficial and harmful microbes there. In this role, you will join a team of scientists studying how the immune system interacts with bacterial members of the microbiota. The primary focus of this role will be managing a colony of gnotobiotic mice, which are housed in an environment devoid of bacteria or colonized with defined bacteria. This opportunity would be perfect for someone who enjoys working with mouse colonies. You will manage daily facility operations for the mouse colony including animal husbandry (health checks, food/water, cage changes, breeding/weaning), maintenance/ordering of supply stocks, cleaning the facility, and moving supplies in and out of the isolators. You will be a valued member of the lab and participate in weekly lab meetings along with other group meetings. There may also be opportunities to assist other lab members with experiments.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in an appropriate field of science or technology or equivalent in education and experience.
• Able to learn complex tasks with general instructions and then perform them independently.
• Highly motivated, ambitious individual with strong organizational skills and willingness to learn new techniques.
• Ability to plan ahead and coordinate with others is essential for success in this position.
• Ability to lift 15 pounds.
• Proficiency in MS Word and MS Excel.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with mice & bacterial preparations in a laboratory setting is preferred.
• Experience working with gnotobiotic microisolators is preferred.
• Experience with sterile techniques.

Responsibilities

• Maintenance of the gnotobiotic mouse colony: assembly of microisolators, autoclaving, husbandry, mouse census, optimization of protocols, and documentation of compliance.
• Hiring, training, and management of undergraduate students who will assist with daily operations of the colony.
• Microbiological testing: culturing of fecal material from gnotobiotic animals, DNA extraction and PCR analysis from samples.
• Order chemicals, reagents, and other laboratory supplies.
• Assist lab members with experiments, configure and operate laboratory apparatus and instruments, read and record instrument data, keep laboratory records, and prepare written summaries of experiments with results.
• Read literature applicable to research areas as the need arises.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package
• Comprehensive health and welfare benefits
• Being part of research projects
• Possibility of being an author on lab research publications
• Regular meetings with Dr. Barton in a collaborative and highly team-oriented setting
• Exceptional health benefits
• Retirement plans
• Time off
• Recognition programs
• Wellness programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees