Research Technician

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Job Summary

Oversee lab operations for the Parker lab at Caltech and provide defined technical services to support lab projects.

Essential Job Duties

Lab operations:

• ​Order and maintain lab equipment and reagents.
• ​Manage lab expenditures.
• ​New lab member orientation.
• ​Lab safety coordination.
• ​Lab event coordination.
• ​Coordinate lab orderliness (including delegation of tasks to other lab members).

Technical support:

• ​Molecular biology methods (DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, cloning, cDNA synthesis).
• ​Screening and husbandry of transgenic and mutant rove beetles to establish stable genetically modified lines.
• ​Maintenance of genetically modified beetles.
• ​Care, troubleshooting, and technical support for large-scale ant colonies.
• ​Work with postdocs and students to facilitate projects using beetle and ant cultures.

Basic Qualifications

• BS in a biology-related field.
• Experience in conducting biological research.
• Familiarity with insect model systems and small insect husbandry (ant colonies and beetles).
• Technical competence to work with small insect molecular biology and gene manipulation.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques, including DNA/RNA extractions; PCR; qPCR.
• Knowledge of functional genetics methods (e.g. CRISPR/CAS9; transgenesis).
• Knowledge of model organism biology.
• Familiarity with laboratory operations.
• Technical competence to provide support for laboratory projects in the form of ordering supplies, maintaining lab stocks, and coordinating with vendors and companies to maintain equipment and instrumentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate-level coursework in insect biology.
• Experience ordering laboratory supplies and managing lab resources and instrumentation.
• Experience working in a molecular/genetics laboratory.
• Experience with invertebrate/insect husbandry.
• Experience with gene editing/manipulation techniques.
• Nucleic acid work.
• Interest in evolution and insect biology.

Required Documents

• Resume