Lab Tech - Dixon Lab

Overview

A laboratory technician position is available in the Department of Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University. The successful candidate will be working in a very active, enthusiastic and highly dynamic pre-clinical translational research laboratory. We are seeking a highly motivated individual.

Job duties will include the following:

• Making of general laboratory reagents (e.g. buffer preparation)
• Laboratory stock maintenance and ordering
• General laboratory maintenance (e.g. glass washing and laboratory tidying as needed)
• Maintain breeding colonies of genetically engineered mice including maintaining accurate and up to date records
• Collect mouse breeding colony tissue samples and processing for genotyping that requires animal handling skills

The applicant should be enthusiastic in expanding their role to include the following:

• Learning and then successfully performing preparation of small animals for anesthesia and surgery, performing the small animal surgeries themselves, drug treatment, monitoring the animal s recovery after surgery, and required institutional record keeping
• Learning and then successfully performing daily post-operative animal care with 100% compliance with VCU IACUC protocols and record-keeping
• Learning and then successfully performing small animal behavioral testing (e.g. motor function, cognition, depression and pain)
• Learning and then successfully performing small animal transcardial perfusions, tissue preparation, cryostat sectioning, fluorescent immunohistochemistry, and stereo logical cell counts
• Learning and then successfully performing fresh tissue dissection, and techniques including Western blotting QPCR, and flow cytometry
• Learning and then successfully performing in vitro culturing of either cell lines or primary cell cultures
• Learning and then successfully performing molecular biology techniques (e.g. Western blotting, QPCR and ELISA s).

Hours are expected to be between Monday to Friday (8.30am
-5.00pm), although some weekend work will likely be required, as needed (e.g. breeding colony monitoring and potential post-operative animal care).

• Bachelor s degree in a related field

• General laboratory skills (e.g. buffer preparation)
• Demonstrated ability to keep accurate records (rigorous scientific record keeping required)
• Demonstrated ability to perform data entry using Microsoft Excel
• Demonstrated ability to perform tasks with scientific level precision and consistency
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

• Master s degree