Microbiologist VII

EHA is seeking a Microbiologist VII to support the CDC Division of Bacterial Diseases (DBD) in Atlanta, GA to perform laboratory support services for confirming, characterizing and tracking bacterial respiratory infections for Pneumonia and Streptococcus Laboratory Branch, as follows:
1. Track trends, etiologies, and strain characteristics for bacterial respiratory and invasive streptococcal infections including resistant infections. Contractor's training and experience shall inform the scope and level of microbiology services, with input from laboratory managers.
1. Use multiple state-of-the art techniques, which may involve real-time PCR, TAC, whole genome sequencing, and activities ancillary to these approaches, to help characterize and track episodes of bacterial disease.
2. Coordinate with laboratory staff to collect data from collaborators in multiple states working with Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) or in multiple state and local health departments gathering data through national active or passive systems such as for Legionnaires' disease.
3. Receive and confirm isolates by standard bacteriologic methods to be one of the species that are the responsibility of the two laboratories (streptococci, Legionella, Mycoplasma, or Chlamydia). Bacteria will be serotyped using classical serotyping techniques or new molecular or sequencing methods.
4. Conduct susceptibility testing using broth micro-dilution or sequencing techniques on pneumococci and streptococci and a subset of other pathogens as determined by the laboratory managers. Clinical specimens shall be cultured to determine if one of the pathogens can be isolated. If not, DNA shall be extracted from the specimen and molecular techniques such as PCR shall be applied to attempt to identify an organism.
5. If the amount of DNA in a specimen is adequate, process molecular sub-typing techniques on culture-negative clinical specimens. All isolates and remaining clinical specimens shall be properly labeled and stored for later evaluation.
6. Assist with developing and delivering training of public health partners on use of these microbiological techniques, communicating with grantees and collaborators to ensure successful progress in projects and programs related to these activities, and providing management to ensure data and program implementation are of high quality.
7. Report on basic microbiological evaluation such as isolation, identification, serotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates.
8. Support ongoing projects and programs, including coordinating work conducted in CDC's ABCs sites, evaluation and analysis of data from ABCs and other surveillance programs, coordination of projects to evaluate effectiveness of interventions to control respiratory diseases.
9. All streptococcal isolates from national invasive disease surveillance (estimated to currently be about 6,500 per year) through ABCs shall be subjected to genomic sequencing which will identify serotypes, resistance phenotypes and clonal DNA types employing Streptococcus Laboratory protocols for all tasks. The contractor shall culture each isolate of the 3 species (S. pneumoniae, S. agalactiae, and S. pyogenes) and using these cultures to prepare high quality chromosomal templates. Chromosomal libraries for sequencing on the Illumina platform shall be prepared from chromosomal templates. For the purpose of these highly automated procedures leading up to genomic sequencing the contractor shall program and operate robotic instrumentation. The contractor shall also operate the Illumina MiSeq in the generation of the raw genomic data.
10. Facilitate publication of manuscripts and online reports that inform the public health field on the status of population-based invasive streptococcal disease surveillance and state of the art strain characterization.
11. Conduct genotyping and phenotyping (serotyping, susceptibility testing) of specific isolate sets as directed by Lab supervisor in support of not only ABCs, but to assist state labs and other partners in resolving outbreak strains or potential vaccine-escape strains.
12. Identify and sub-type respiratory and invasive pathogens from culture-negative clinical specimens.
13. Receive electronic data transmitted from state and local partners to CDC using data systems and pre-determined time-lines.
14. Coordinate shipping of isolates and specimens from all cases to CDC's Strep laboratory.
15. Produce reports of ABCs data completeness and quality every 2 months.
16. Participate in annual meetings of ABCs surveillance officers and primary investigators.
17. Use of multiple state-of-the-art techniques, which may involve real-time PCR, TAC, whole genome sequencing, and activities ancillary to these approaches to help characterize and track trends, etiologies, and strain characteristics for bacterial respiratory infections.
18. Perform broth microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing as required.
19. Assist in bacterial culture as well as DNA extraction and PCR detection of referred pathogens.
20. Perform inventory of clinical specimens, bacterial isolates and DNA, update inventory as required and record this information and store for later evaluation.
21. Perform in routine laboratory and equipment maintenance.
22. Perform large-scale strain characterization for international and national surveillance projects and assist in developing molecular assays. Necessary training will be provided in the Streptococcus Laboratory.
23. Assist CDC scientists in support of studies and projects in global settings
24. Participate in meetings related to specific global projects with DBD scientists and primary investigators
25. Contribute to technical assistance for partners of global projects
26. Process clinical samples from countries outside of the USA received by DBD laboratories

EHA offers a competitive benefits package to include: paid holidays, paid time off including sick and vacation leave, medical, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, short and long term disability, company paid life insurance, 401(k) with a company match and discretionary profit sharing and tuition reimbursement.