Research Technician Assistant

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Job Summary

The Demirer Lab at Caltech is hiring a full-time, temporary Research Technician Assistant. Reporting to Professor Gözde Demirer and a graduate student in the Demirer Lab, the successful candidate will join a small team of researchers working on plant bioengineering and nanotechnology development. The successful candidate will specifically help the project of the graduate student in developing nanoparticle platforms to deliver biomacromolecules to plants. More details about the Demirer lab and this research project may be found at https://www.demirerlab.com/ .

Essential Job Duties

• Help the lab manager with the unpacking and organizing lab supplies, reagents, and consumables.
• Prepare reagents used in the specific project that the technician is helping, such as buffers and media.
• Sow seeds weekly and maintain plants in the growth chamber that will be used in the project.
• Perform routine molecular biology techniques such as plasmid purification, molecular cloning, and protein expression and purification needed in the project.
• Participate in scientific discussions during weekly group meetings.
• A highly motivated and qualified candidate may additionally develop independent aspects of the ongoing project, while continuing to provide research support.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering, with an educational emphasis in chemistry, biology, plant biology, bioengineering, or related field.
• The ability to perform work in a neat and orderly manner, to work as part of a team, and to learn new lab skills related to plant biology, molecular and cell biology, nanomaterials and chemistry.
• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous lab experience with molecular biology techniques and/or plant research is strongly preferred.
• Previous experience with protein expression and purification from plants is also strongly preferred.

Required Documents

• CV
• Names and contact information for two professional references