Research Lab Technician II

Research Lab Technician II

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the "Trojan Family," which is comprised of the faculty, staff, and students that make the university a great place to work.

The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking a Research Lab Technician II in the Bridge Institute, Gati Lab's interdisciplinary research program focused on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) biology and pharmacology. The largest and oldest of the USC schools, USC Dornsife functions as the academic core of the university, offering courses and advancing knowledge across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

Our research aims to elucidate the structural and mechanistic principles governing GPCR signaling and to translate these insights toward novel therapeutic strategies. We integrate cutting-edge cryo-EM with cell-based pharmacological assays and computational modeling to study GPCRs activated by diverse ligands, including neurotransmitters, peptides, and immune modulators.

Recent work from our lab includes a variety of cutting-edge studies on GPCR structural pharmacology, including:

• The first structures of Class C intermediate states - GABA-B (Shaye et al. 2020, Nature, PMID: 32555460)
• The first structure of an inactive GPCR-BRIL fusion - Fzd5 (Tsutsumi et al. 2020, eLife, PMID: 32762848)
• The first structures of inverse agonist-bound GPCR-G protein complexes - KOR (Tyson et al. 2025, Nature Chemical Biology, PMID: 39775170)
• The first structures of GDP-bound intermediate states of GPCR-G protein complexes, elucidating the activation mechanism and pharmacology of MOR (Khan et al. 2025, Nature, PMID: 41193810)

The lab is expanding its efforts toward single molecule biophysics and structure-guided drug discovery, leveraging collaborations in computational biology, chemical biology and protein engineering.

If you are passionate about GPCR biology, structural biology, pharmacology, and modern drug discovery, we encourage you to apply.

Responsibilities:

• Recombinant expression of human proteins in insect cell and mammalian cell cultures.
• Perform pharmacological assays using FRET- and BRET-based sensors.
• Independent planning and fulfillment of protein purification
• Conduct basic molecular biology techniques that may include DNA isolation, and cloning.
• Sample preparation and data analysis for single particle cryoEM.
• Prepare commonly used lab reagents and chemical solutions.
• Maintain general lab organization and ordering as well as compliance with university environmental health and safety standards.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

Preferred Qualifications:

We welcome applicants with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Biochemistry: Recombinant protein expression in Sf9 and mammalian expression system. Purification of membrane proteins.
• Cryo-EM: Single-particle cryo-EM analysis of membrane proteins, including GPCR complexes.
• GPCR Pharmacology: Cell-based signaling assays (e.g., BRET-based assays), receptor trafficking studies, or advanced imaging approaches.
• Computational Biology: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, structure-based drug design, or protein/antibody engineering.
• BSc in a relevant discipline (e.g., structural biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, computational biology, or related fields) and demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills.

Hourly range: The hourly rate range for this position is $25.71 – $27.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Required Documents and Additional Information:

• Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.
• Fixed-term, grant funded position.
• Shift: Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
• Job openings are posted for a minimum of (5) five business days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended, so please apply on the same business day if interested.
• USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six months of employment; tuition benefits for staff and their family; free Professional Development classes; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services; discounts to sporting and other campus events.

Minimum Education: Associate's degree, Specialized/technical training, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Minimum Experience: 2 years

Minimum Field of Expertise: Working knowledge of laboratory equipment and research protocols. Knowledge of computer analysis techniques and ability to provide routine analysis and interpretation of research data.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at View phone number on click.appcast.io, or by email at View email address on click.appcast.io. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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