Scientist — Sanger Sequencing

Eurofins•San Diego, CA

2h•$52,000 - $60,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Scientist I will support Sanger DNA sequencing, routine molecular cloning workflows, and competent cell production within a collaborative laboratory environment. This role requires hands-on execution of core molecular biology techniques, accurate record-keeping, and effective communication across teams to meet project objectives and timelines.

Requirements

B.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, or a related biological sciences field or equivalent work experience.
0–2+ years of relevant laboratory experience.
Working knowledge of core molecular biology techniques: PCR, plasmid purification (mini/midi/maxiprep), restriction digestion, ligation, agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and nucleic acid quantification (NanoDrop, Qubit).
Hands-on experience with bacterial cell culture: streaking, picking colonies, liquid culture growth, glycerol stock preparation, and aseptic technique.
Familiarity with E. coli transformation (heat shock and/or electroporation) and selection on antibiotic plates.
Comfortable with accurate micropipetting, reagent preparation, and following written SOPs.
Strong attention to detail and good laboratory record-keeping practices (paper notebook and/or ELN).
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team setting.
Authorization to work in the country indefinitely without sponsorship

Nice To Haves

Prior hands-on experience with Sanger sequencing (BigDye Terminator chemistry, reaction cleanup, capillary electrophoresis on ABI 3xxx-series instruments).
Experience with plasmid design and cloning software (e.g., Sequencher, Benchling).
Experience with Gibson Assembly, Golden Gate, or other seamless cloning methods in addition to traditional restriction/ligation cloning.
Experience preparing chemically competent and electrocompetent E. coli (e.g., DH5α, DH10B, DB3.1) and measuring transformation efficiency.
Experience with Biomek or other liquid-handling robotics (Hamilton, Tecan).
Familiarity with sequence trace analysis and variant calling (e.g., Sequencher, SnapGene alignment, Mutation Surveyor).
Prior laboratory or internship experience in an industry or core-facility setting.

Responsibilities

Perform Sanger DNA sequencing reactions, including BigDye Terminator cycle sequencing setup, post-reaction cleanup, and sample submission to capillary electrophoresis instruments.
Execute routine molecular cloning workflows, including PCR amplification, restriction digestion, ligation, transformation into E. coli, colony screening, and plasmid miniprep.
Produce bacterial cell-derived plasmid DNA at miniprep, midiprep, and maxiprep scale, and prepare chemically competent E. coli stocks for laboratory use.
Operate liquid-handling automation (e.g., Biomek) to support high-throughput sequencing reaction setup and plasmid purification.
Maintain accurate electronic records of experiments, sample tracking, and reagent inventory in the group's ELN/LIMS.
Work collaboratively with other groups to achieve project objectives and timelines.