Research Lab Technician in Human Health, Microbiome & Automation
Caltech
Job Category: Fulltime Term
Exempt Overtime Eligible: Overtime Eligible
Benefits Eligible: Benefit Based
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.
Job Summary
The Ismagilov Lab at Caltech is hiring a full-time Research Lab Technician for a 2-year term position. Reporting to Professor Rustem Ismagilov, the successful candidate will contribute to key projects and collaborations in human health. Examples include: developing novel tools that improve biological AI models by orders of magnitude; developing closed-loop systems that combine robotics and AI for rapid autonomous experimentation; discovering in human tissues novel bacteria, fungi, and viruses (and corresponding genes and pathways) responsible for heath and disease; developing novel diagnostic approaches; investigating the microbial origins of human diseases. Additional details about the lab can be found at http://ismagilovlab.caltech.edu/research.
Essential Job Duties
- Assist graduate students, postdocs, and research staff in their projects.
- Design and perform exceptionally high-quality experiments.
- Perform automated DNA and RNA extractions from many different sample types, including clinical samples (e.g., saliva, swabs, urine, blood, biopsies).
- Perform nucleic acid amplification analyses using standard techniques such as qPCR, ddPCR, RT-qPCR, and RT-ddPCR.
- Assist with Illumina and Nanopore sequencing library preparations for 16S rRNA gene, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and RNA sequencing.
- Perform critical sequencing-library quality-control steps.
- Perform basic microbiology techniques such as bacterial culture, making media, and handling glycerol stocks with aseptic techniques.
- Analyze raw data and generate figures.
- Assist with scripting and validating protocols for automated liquid handlers.
- Maintain the lab's excellent standards for biosafety and chemical safety.
- Follow lab procedures for maintaining a neat, detailed electronic lab notebook.
- Maintain the organization of lab workspaces and maintain stocks of lab supplies.
- A highly motivated and qualified candidate may additionally develop independent aspects of ongoing projects, while continuing to provide research support to the lab.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in science with an educational emphasis in chemistry, biology, microbiology, or a related field required at the time of application.
- Strong drive to learn and make a positive impact on the lab and the lab's mission.
- Strong organizational, time-management, and project-management skills.
- Lab experience (beyond academic coursework) in microbiology, molecular biology, and/or biochemistry.
- Highly detail-oriented; must have prior experience performing complex experiments, using laboratory techniques, and generating reproducible data that others can rely on.
- Demonstrated ability to learn to perform highly technical workflows in a laboratory setting.
- Must be able to use sound judgment to handle a variety of tasks simultaneously and to shift priorities, as well as effectively solve problems.
- Must be able to work independently as well as part of a collaborative team in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with all levels of staff.
- Ambition to learn how to do research at a higher and higher level, including how to design high-quality experiments and definitively answer scientific questions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ambition to enter a top medical or graduate school or a similar high-performance, high-impact environment in industry or academia.
- Prior experience working at BSL-2.
- Prior experience performing qPCR and nucleic-acid extractions.
- Prior experience tracking and/or handling large numbers of samples in parallel.
- Prior experience handling and processing 96-sample assays, such as 96-well PCR plates or 96-well screening assays.
- Interest in liquid-handler automation of wet-lab workflows and closed-loop automation systems.
- Co-authorship on a scientific publication.
- Prior experience or undergraduate-level coursework with a basic programming language for data analysis (Python, MATLAB, R).
Required Documents
- Resume (describe relevant experiences and accomplishments).
- Cover letter with specific examples demonstrating candidate's a) alignment with the lab's mission; b) level of ambition, motivation, and drive for conducting research; c) attention to detail and ability to produce data others can trust; d) level of technical mastery of their top three most relevant experimental skills as described in their resume.
