Research Assistant, Senior Biological Sciences -Behringer Lab

Position Summary

A Senior Research Assistant is part of the Behringer Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is a key member of the research team responsible for supporting the research, organization, and day‑to‑day operations of the lab. This position will aid the Behringer Lab’s investigations into molecular and ecological features that influence E. coli evolution under feast/famine cycles.

Experience in CRISPR, cell culture, nucleic acid extraction for NGS sequencing, and project organization are required.

The Sr. Research Assistant will report directly to Dr. Megan Behringer (Principal Investigator) and regularly work with the other members of the Behringer Lab to oversee long‑term co‑culture and assessment of Escherichia coli populations under various biotic and abiotic stressors. We are a young and vibrant team dedicated to understanding fundamental biological processes in a collaborative environment. The major research focus of this position is understanding how stress influences population dynamics within a model 2‑strain community, which aligns with the global lab interests of how microbes evolve in stressful environments.

The position is full‑time.

The Department of Biological Sciences has an excellent staff to facilitate issue resolution involving personnel, financial management, supply and equipment orders, proposal submission, and infrastructure. The faculty in the department carry out diverse research projects and often collaborate with other members within the department and in nearby departments. This department covers a broad spectrum of biology, from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms to populations and ecosystems.

Award‑winning faculty and graduate students teach and carry out research in Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

• Manage the long‑term culture of experimental populations, including maintaining inventory of key media and reagents; coordinating daily transfers, periodic screening for contamination, and collections at key time points; and ensuring the glassware and spent cultures are appropriately sterilized.
• Perform nucleic acid extraction from long‑term experimental cultures and prepare samples for submission to the genomic sequencing core facility.
• Help optimize new culture strategies to expand investigation to additional anaerobic bacterial species.
• Assist with reconstructing key mutations that underlie bacterial adaptation under feast/famine.
• Assist with lab organization, such as ordering and receiving reagents, keeping chemical inventories and safety protocols current.
• Other duties as assigned.

• A bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology/Evolutionary Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of laboratory work experience; 3–4 years is preferred.
• Prior experience in cell culture.
• Prior experience with DNA extraction.
• Experience with CRISPR editing is preferred.
• Ability to work with others in a mutually respectful environment that values honesty, integrity, and accountability.

This position reports functionally to Dr. Megan Behringer and administratively to the departmental Administrative Manager.

• Mid‑Senior level

• Full‑time

• Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
• Higher Education