Lab Research Technician , Molecular & Cell Biology

Lab Research Technician (9612C), Molecular & Cell Biology - #89104

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley is recognized nationally and internationally for excellence. The teaching and research activities of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) concern the molecular structures and processes of cellular life and their roles in the function, reproduction, and development of living organisms.

The types of living organisms from which the departmental faculty draws its working materials range from viruses and microbes through plants, roundworms, annelids, arthropods, and mollusks to fish, amphibia, and mammals.

In this position, the Lab Research Technician supports the scientific and operational activities of a research laboratory studying choanoflagellate biology. This position contributes to active research projects through cell culture, microscopy, flow cytometry, molecular biology, media preparation, and the maintenance of laboratory strains. The Lab Research Technician provides technical and operational support to laboratory staff in the King Lab, managing both hands-on research support and day-to-day lab operations and administration.

The First Review Date for this job is:
October 12, 2026.

Laboratory Research Support - 20%

• Assist Scientists with cell culture (sterile technique), microscopy, flow cytometry (FACS), and standard molecular biology procedures (PCR, cloning, etc.). Evaluates unexpected changes in choanoflagellate culture growth, morphology, contamination status, or viability by reviewing culture history, media preparation, incubation conditions, sterile technique, and recent handling. Implements routine corrective actions within established procedures, such as preparing fresh media or restarting cultures from backup stocks when appropriate.
  
  Documents observations and consults with the PI or senior researchers when culture issues may affect ongoing experiments.

Laboratory Maintenance and Technical Support - 20%

• Help maintain choanoflagellate cell lines, coordinate shipments of laboratory strains to collaborators, and prepare media and stock solutions. Investigates unexpected results from microscopy, flow cytometry, PCR, cloning, and other standard experimental procedures by evaluating sample preparation, reagent quality, instrument settings, controls, and protocol deviations. Makes routine adjustments, repeats or optimizes established procedures within approved parameters, and communicates potential technical causes, errors, and next steps to researchers.

Inventory Management - 30%

• Maintain inventories of consumables and reagents, including antibody, plasmids, and cryogenic Dewar records

Safety Compliance - 10%

• Coordinate with safety offices to ensure regulatory compliance; manage amendments and renewals for lab permits…