Senior Bacterial Core Technician

The Alaka`ina Foundation Family of Companies (FOCs) has a potential need for a Senior Bacterial Core Technician to support our government customer located in Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD.

• Responsible for BSL-3 laboratory operations and training in animal manipulations. Technicians shall perform approximately 5 animal studies in both the DTRA funded projects as well as contracted work.
• Perform in vitro Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) testing of potential therapeutic compounds against Tier 1 bacteria. We currently utilize 30-strain diversity sets of Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Yersinia pestis (plague), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), Burkholderia mallei (glanders), and Burkholderia pseudomallei (meliodosis), testing over 72 compounds per year against all 30 strains, in vitro.
• Participate in mouse, rat, rabbit, or other small animal studies, which include preparation of antibiotics for administration, administering drugs and vaccines, orally and by intraperitoneal, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intravenous bolus injections. In addition, collect animal body fluids and remove tissues with all small animal studies executed. Upon execution of experiment shall perform animal health exams to ensure study remains in compliance with IACUC approved protocols.
• Participate in weekly lab meetings and assist in development and design with current and future in vitro and in vivo work. May be requested to present posters at one scientific conference which may require CONUS or OCONUS travel and work to be performed outside normal business hours.
• Participate in mouse, rat, rabbit, or other small animal BSL-2 pharmacokinetics and toxicology studies; to include preparation of antibiotics for administration; administering drugs and vaccines, followed by blood and tissue collection for pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic analyses.
• Support the in vivo pharmacology research program and contribute to the multidisciplinary research team to determine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics relationships and efficacy of optimized leads.
• Assist with data analyses and drafting reports for internal or external customers.
• Work with mass spectrometry, chromatography, HPLC MS/MS, specifically Sciex platforms coupled with Shimadzu HPLCs other and biophysical techniques to support in-process testing and characterization of biopharmaceutical products and impurities.
• Perform bioanalytical data acquisition, data analysis, and reporting of results using Applied Biosystems Analyst, Excel, and the Mass Spec Quantitation Software Multi Quant.
• Complete approximately 25 media/reagent preparations per year.
• Assist with approximately 5 animal challenges per year and 10 bacterial challenge preparations.
• Perform approximately 400 animal injections per year; 400 animal observations per year.
• Support divisional in vivo projects by completing approximately 500 bacterial burdens in animal tissue per year.
• Perform approximately 500 small animal necropsies per year.
• Process approximately 300 animal gavage and approximately 125 animal blood collections per year.
• Place approximately 50 GFEBs orders per year for supplies and equipment.
• Maintain laboratories in BSL-2 and BSL-3.
• Perform or assist with BSAT Inventory Management weekly (to include applicable BSAT working stock material).
• Conduct or assist with Equipment Inventory Management twice a year in BSL-2 and BSL-3.
• Perform or assist with monthly Laboratory Management to include safety functions and chemical inventory.
• Review relevant literature monthly. May assist in the preparation standard operating procedures and manuscripts relating to their research efforts. May be expected to present research findings at one scientific conference per year, which may require CONUS or OCONUS travel. Present results in written and oral format publicly and internally as requested.
• Maintain a GLP training folder and be compliant with all GLP regulations when applicable.
• Directly contribute to the design, rationale, and be point-of-contact for 10 small animal studies to include drafting of a study plan and oversight of personnel scheduling.
• Contribute to study progress reports and scientific manuscripts to include statistical analysis, data compilation, figure preparation, and methods summary.
• Assist in establishing up to 28 new active material transfer agreements and cooperative research and development agreements with up to 8 pharmaceutical companies and/or universities. Maintain records of active agreements and collaborations.
• Other duties as assigned by Supervisor.

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Microbiology or similar science and 5 years of relevant laboratory experience.

• Must have a minimum of two (2) to three (3) years performing BSL-3 laboratory operations and training in animal manipulations and conducting animal studies. Both DTRA funded projects as well as contracted work preferred.
• Must have a minimum of two (2) to three (3) years…