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