Research Specialist A​/B - Epidemiology Division

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Posted Job Title

Research Specialist A/B - Epidemiology Division

Job Profile Title

Research Specialist A

Job Description Summary

The Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics (DBEI) and the Antimicrobial Resistance, Healthcare Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship (ARES) Research Collaborative at the University of Pennsylvania seeks a full-time Clinical Research Specialist (RS-A/B). The candidate will serve as the primary laboratory technician for the PI.

The Research Specialist will serve as the primary technician on multiple research studies. Position duties include: specimen processing, culturing bacteria, reagent and media preparation, organization and storage of bacterial isolates, biobanking, and participation as part of a research team. Position will potentially oversee work-study students and part-time laboratory technicians. This position is for 1-2 years with possible extension based on funding.

The Research Specialist B will perform all above duties and will oversee work-study students and part-time laboratory technicians.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

+  Specimen Processing:
Perform techniques for sample processing (plating bacterial cultures, pipetting, vortexing, aliquot, and centrifugation) of human and environmental samples for identification of bacterial colonies; specimens can include anatomic samples (e.g., stool, urine, skin, respiratory) as well as environmental samples.

+  Bacterial Storage & Library: use Lab Vantage lab inventory system to maintain organization of isolates and DNA collections. Preparing cell lysate cultures and organizing them for submission for whole genome sequencing.

+  General laboratory duties including: recording results and methods in a daily lab notebook, data collection forms, REDCap database, and an Excel spreadsheet; reagent preparation, ordering supplies, basic lab cleaning, quality control, and maintenance.

+  Bacterial Culturing Methods:
Maintenance of bacteria, preparing culture liquid and solid culture media, isolation of pure colonies from mixed cultures, subculturing, freezing isolates for storage.

+  Attend regular meetings with Penn team and collaborators and provide regular status reports.

+  Perform bacterial growth rate and phenotypic assays using an automated plate reader.

+  Biobanking:
Organization and collection of isolates from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory weekly or overseeing/working with student employee in this task. Maintaining list of biobanked isolates.

+  Potentially perform molecular techniques including: PCR, DNA isolation from bacteria, restriction enzyme digestion, gel electrophoresis, DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction, and DNA preps

+ Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Bac…