Research Technologist ; NE S SEIU RT

Research Technologist 1

The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Technologist 1 to join their team.

About this Opportunity

Reporting to the Principal Investigator, the Research Technologist 1 supports a research program studying chromosomal instability (CIN) — the ongoing gain and loss of whole chromosomes during cell division — in human trophoblast, and how it compares with the aneuploidy seen in cancer. This position generates the core experimental data for that work: maintaining human trophoblast stem cell, organoid, and cancer cell line cultures;

running live-cell imaging experiments that capture chromosome segregation errors as they happen; performing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and molecular assays to measure aneuploidy and copy-number change; and carrying out quantitative analysis of the resulting image and sequencing datasets. The work is hands-on and protocol-driven, with direct responsibility for the reproducibility and continuity of experiments across the lab.

This position is based at the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) on the UW South Lake Union campus at 850 Republican Street, Seattle. The work is performed on-site at the laboratory bench and is not eligible for telework. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday during business hours; because live cell cultures require continuous care, the schedule also includes rotating weekend and holiday coverage arranged in advance with the Principal Investigator.

Key Responsibilities

• Cell culture – 22%:
  Maintain human trophoblast stem cell, organoid, and cancer cell line cultures according to established protocols, including thawing, passaging, differentiation, transfection or lentiviral transduction, drug treatment, and cryopreservation; generate and maintain fluorescently labeled reporter lines; monitor culture morphology and health daily; maintain cell line, passage, and karyotype records; provide scheduled weekend and holiday culture coverage.
• Live-cell imaging – 20%:
  Set up and run long-term time-lapse imaging experiments on incubated widefield and confocal systems; prepare imaging dishes and label cells for chromosome and nuclear markers; acquire multi-position, multi-channel z-stack time series of dividing cells; monitor runs in progress and troubleshoot focus drift, stage positioning, and phototoxicity; manage acquisition settings and the transfer and archiving of large raw imaging datasets.
• Quantitative image analysis – 15%:
  Segment and track cells across time-lapse datasets; score mitotic and nuclear phenotypes including lagging chromosomes, anaphase bridges, micronuclei, and multipolar divisions; run, adapt, and document analysis pipelines in Fiji/ImageJ, Cell Profiler, or Python; compile per-cell measurements into analysis-ready tables; generate summary plots and quality-control figures.
• Cytogenetic and molecular assays – 20%:
  Perform interphase and metaphase FISH, including metaphase spread preparation, probe hybridization, washing, and signal enumeration; perform immunofluorescence and combined immunoFISH staining; carry out DNA and RNA extraction, qPCR, cloning, gel electrophoresis, and Western blotting; prepare samples for flow cytometry including DNA-content and ploidy analysis, and for sequencing-based copy-number assays.
• Data recording and reporting – 8%:
  Record, organize, and verify the accuracy of imaging and assay data; perform calculations; maintain electronic laboratory notebook entries and a consistent file, naming, and metadata structure for large imaging datasets; prepare charts, graphs, and written summaries of results; participate in laboratory meetings and planning sessions.
• Instrumentation and equipment – 5%:
  Operate and maintain fluorescence and confocal microscopes, environmental chambers, biosafety cabinets, incubators, centrifuges, plate readers, and flow cytometers; perform routine quality control including illumination and stage-position checks; coordinate calibration and vendor service; troubleshoot routine instrument problems.
• Reagents, ordering, and inventory – 5%:
  Prepare media, buffers, reagents, antibody and FISH…