Job Type
Full-time
Description
JOB TITLE: Microbiologist IIIPOSITION NUMBER: 2528-80002-MIII-01POSITION LOCATION: Baton Rouge, LA, USAANTICIPATED START DATE: Two weeks after candidate selectionTRAVEL: As required to fulfill the responsibilities of the positionSCOPE OF WORKThe Microbiologist III will provide research services to enhance the understanding of infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae ( M. leprae ) and Mycobacterium lepromatosis (M. lepromatosis) .
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES- The Microbiologist III shall perform the following tasks:
- Design and develop molecular assays to determine viability of leprosy complex bacteria from infected animal tissues. Applications shall include evaluation of fixation protocols (e.g., Ethanol, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded), purification of nucleic acids, quantitation of bacterial numbers, and expression of relevant genes.
- Perform various molecular assays on clinical biopsy samples from leprosy patients across the leprosy spectrum.
- Applications shall include refinement of established protocols to obtain optimum performance with human tissue samples.
- Design and perform experiments evaluating new anti-leprosy drugs and drug regimens utilizing the mouse footpad model of leprosy complex bacterial infection.
- Formulate complex hypotheses regarding the relationship of the host immune response with leprosy complex bacteria viability and the expression of bacterial or host genes in in-vitro culture and from infected tissues by using techniques like real-time PCR, whole genome sequencing and RNASeq.
- Design new primer/probe sets and assess their suitability for use as improved expression markers for detecting viable leprosy complex bacteria in clinical and experimental samples.
- Document all experimental procedures. Compile and analyze all experimental data.
- Synthesize information suitable for critical review and publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Maintain and submit written documentation/work products in the following formats:
Word document: Reports and manuscripts for publication.
Excel: Spreadsheets and Tables of experimental data.
PowerPoint: Presentations for review of progress.
Statistical Analysis Software (SAS): statistical analysis of data.
Handwritten: Daily progress entries into laboratory notebook.
Submit Monthly and Quarterly progress reports as follows:
- Monthly Reports: Provide a summary of the work completed during the month and shall include experiments performed, data collected, and interpretation of the data.
- Quarterly Reports: Provide a written report of the tasks completed during the quarter and present the data for discussion and planning of future directions.
Requirements
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONSEducation and Experience:- Ph.D. degree in Animal Science, Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, or related discipline required, Master's degree preferred
Required:- Minimum of 3 years of laboratory experience using molecular, immunological, and microbiology techniques.
- Experience developing, validating, implementing, and troubleshooting molecular-based assays.
- Experience working with pathogenic bacteria.
- Expert knowledge and ability to perform molecular techniques to include PCR, sequencing, basic gene cloning techniques, gene expression, bacterial growth, and gel electrophoresis.
- Demonstrated experience in the synthesis of laboratory data and development of new experiments to further a research goal/objective.
- Excellent skills in documentation, and knowledge of safety requirements for research being performed.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, for interaction with internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience with Microsoft Office, including demonstrated experience with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Demonstrated experience in the statistical analysis of laboratory results, including the use of statistical analysis software such as SAS, SPSS, or similar.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and yet maintain the flexibility to respond to requests for support of ongoing projects.
Desirable:- Previous experience working with leprosy complex bacteria ( M. leprae and/or M. lepromatosis ).
- Experience performing animal manipulations, including injection and dissection of major organs and tissue samples.
Language Skills:- The candidate must possess excellent oral and written communication skills in English
REQUIREMENT:- Must be United States citizen or permanent resident or have authorization for employment in the United States
SALARY: Commensurate with qualifications and experience
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