Research technician for the TwinAIR project

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) is a cutting-edge institute addressing global public health challenges through research, translation into policy and education. ISGlobal has a broad portfolio in communicable and non-communicable diseases including environmental and climate determinants, and applies a multidisciplinary scientific approach ranging from the molecular to the population level. Research is organized in three main areas, Malaria and other Infectious Diseases, Child and Maternal Health, and Urban Health, Climate & Non-Communicable Diseases.  ISGlobal is accredited with the Severo Ochoa distinction, a seal of excellence of the Spanish Science Ministry.

ISGlobal is seeking a skilled, organized and motivated research technician to join the project entitled: “TwinAIR: Digital Twins Enabled Indoor Air Quality Management for Healthy Living “.  This project, coordinated by University of Patras (Greece), is funded by the Horizon Europe programme, and its consortium includes 19 partners from 10 different EU countries. The overall project goal is to improve urban life by tackling the challenge of indoor air quality (IAQ), by measuring and understanding its chemical and biological compositions, associations with human health and well-being, and its complex interrelationships with external factors.

The candidate will provide technical support to the daily development of the laboratory and fieldwork of the project. In particular, the candidate will be involved in the monitoring and analysis of chemical and biological contaminants in the air, and in human microbiome and antimicrobial susceptibility studies to assess the impacts of IAQ on human health. Moreover, the candidate will support the recruitment and implementation of a longitudinal cohort study of TwinAir participants to assess the associations between IAQ and human health and well-being outcomes. 

The main tasks that the technician will conduct include:

• Performing air and human sampling campaigns in the pilot sites (UK, Sweden, Ireland, Greece, Germany and Spain).
• Storage of samples and management of samples repository.
• Microbial cultivation, isolation and identification.
• DNA extraction of airborne and human microorganisms for their downstream analysis by next-generation sequencing techniques.
• Preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Control of stocks and procurement of consumables and reagents.
• Perform lab maintenance duties.
• Support the recruitment and implementation of a longitudinal cohort study of TwinAir study participants at pilot sites (UK, Sweden, Ireland, Greece, Germany and Spain).
• Support and carry out other activities within the scope and purpose of the TwinAir project.