Research Associate

Research Associate

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Research Associate will be involved in projects aimed broadly at understanding tick-host-pathogen interactions with a focus on the Lyme disease agent. The ultimate goal is to utilize this knowledge to develop new strategies to prevent tick transmission of pathogens and to interrupt the tick life cycle. The study will utilize mouse and guinea pig models of tick feeding towards these goals. The Res Associate will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Train in animal handling, tick rearing and maintenance of ticks using both murine, and guinea pig models of tick feeding.
• Isolate RNA and DNA from ticks and from murine and guinea pig skin tissues.
• Perform quantitative PCR reactions to determine gene expression profiles.
• Isolate and purify recombinant proteins in E.coli or Drosophila expression systems, perform ELISA and western blots for serological evaluation.
• Maintain animals (mice and guinea pigs), draw blood from mice or guinea pigs as warranted by the experiment, perform routine anesthetization and euthanization of animals as warranted and approved by the IACUC protocols.
• Meticulously maintain lab note books to record all experiments, animal and tick inventories.
• Routine lab chores including ordering of supplies, cleaning of glassware, ensuring good lab practices, clean bench and workspace, and maintenance of liquid nitrogen tanks and tick incubators.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Proven experience handling mice, anesthetization, blood drawing and should be prepared to train with the guinea pig model.
• DNA/RNA extraction from animal tissues, cell lines, blood, PCR assays, QPCR, and RT-PCR.
• Protein purification, ELISA and western blot assays.
• Routine lab maintenance (supplies order, inventories of animals, and reagents), lab record maintenance of experiment details and documentation of results.
• Basic skills in word, and power point.

Preferred Skills and Abilities:

• M.S in any discipline, with extensive experience in biological sciences and molecular techniques.

Required Trainings and Certifications:

• Animal care and use facilities training, Laboratory Safety program, Blood-borne pathogens for Lab Employees, Biomedical Waste Packaging Program, Harassment Prevention program.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Designs, plans, implements and evaluates complex multifaceted research projects/systems, including method development, adaptation and validation.
• Collaborates with PI to define research endeavors and the development of research hypothesis and approach.
• Solves complex methodology, protocol, procedural and research problems through design of techniques, procedures and policies that will achieve research goals.
• Develops long range plans for supplies and equipment to ensure smooth operation of laboratory.
• Investigate, analyzes and evaluates complex data, data collection systems and methods to reach scientific conclusions and ensures the integrity of research data.
• Collaborates with PI to coordinate major lab renovations working with Facilities, Health and Safety, and Purchasing to ensure deadlines, safety standards and purchases are according to plans and within budgets.
• Prepares scientific reports and papers for research proposals and published reports.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience: Master's Degree in a scientific discipline and three years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.