Research fellow - and biology

The Sidarala Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated Research Assistant to join a dynamic research program focused on understanding how mitochondrial dynamics regulates pancreatic β-cell function, aging, and diabetes. The successful candidate will contribute to projects investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes using cutting-edge molecular biology and imaging approaches.

This position is ideal for individuals interested in gaining extensive research experience before pursuing graduate, medical, or professional school, or for candidates seeking a career in biomedical research. Outstanding candidates will have opportunities to co-author peer-reviewed publications and present research at regional and national scientific meetings.

Primary Responsibilities The Research Assistant will:

Manage and maintain mouse colonies, including colony organization, record keeping, and health monitoring

Establish breeding schemes and genotyping workflows to generate experimental mouse cohorts

Assist with and perform in vivo studies, including animal handling, injections, metabolic phenotyping, glucose and insulin tolerance tests, blood and tissue collection, and other physiological assessments (training provided as needed)

Perform pancreatic islet isolations from mice (training provided as needed)

Perform molecular biology techniques including DNA / RNA extraction, PCR , qPCR, cloning, and genotyping

Conduct biochemical assays including Western blotting, ELISA , insulin secretion assays, and enzyme activity measurements

Prepare laboratory reagents and solutions, maintain laboratory equipment, manage inventory, and ensure compliance with laboratory safety procedures

Organize, analyze, and maintain accurate records of experimental data using electronic laboratory notebooks

Participate in laboratory meetings and contribute to manuscript preparation and grant applications as appropriate

Research Areas Projects in the laboratory focus on:

Pancreatic islet biology and β-cell physiology

Mitochondrial dynamics, cellular metabolism and bioenergetics

Aging and age-associated metabolic diseases

Translational studies using mouse and human β-cell models

Training Opportunities The Research Assistant will receive training in modern techniques including:

Pancreatic islet isolation and functional assays

Live-cell and super-resolution confocal imaging

Metabolic phenotyping

Molecular and cellular biology

Experimental design and statistical analysis

Scientific writing and presentation skills

Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a closely related field

Strong organizational and communication skills

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Excellent attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accurate research records; Willingness to learn new laboratory techniques

Preferred Qualifications Experience working with laboratory mice, including animal handling and husbandry

Experience managing transgenic or knockout mouse colonies, including breeding strategies and colony record keeping

Familiarity with mouse genotyping techniques, including DNA extraction and PCR

Experience with in vivo procedures such as injections, blood collection, metabolic phenotyping, or tissue harvesting

Experience with pancreatic islet isolation or other tissue dissection techniques

Experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular biology techniques, including PCR , qPCR, Western blotting, or cloning

Familiarity with immunofluorescence microscopy or confocal microscopy

Location

Location MURC - Marshall University Research Corporation

Salary Range

Salary Range Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Required Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a closely related field

Experience

Strong organizational and communication skills

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Excellent attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accurate research records; Willingness to learn new laboratory techniques

Preferred Qualifications

Education

Experience

Experience with one or more of the following is desirable but not required:

Experience working with laboratory mice, including animal handling and husbandry

Experience managing transgenic or knockout mouse colonies, including breeding strategies and colony record keeping

Familiarity with mouse genotyping techniques, including DNA extraction and PCR

Experience with in vivo procedures such as injections, blood collection, metabolic phenotyping, or tissue harvesting

Experience with pancreatic islet isolation or other tissue dissection techniques

Experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular biology techniques, including PCR , qPCR, Western blotting, or cloning

Familiarity with immunofluorescence microscopy or confocal microscopy

Posting Number

Posting Number MR0887

Open Date

Open Date 07/30/2026

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Special Instructions Summary

Supplemental Questions Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

* Do you have a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a closely relatedfield? Yes

No

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