RESEARCH TECHNICIAN III

This Position is Grant Funded

School of Medicine Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,500 faculty physicians and researchers, more than 1,300 students, and more than 6,000 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, Duke University Health System and the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC) comprise Duke Health. a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Job Summary

Perform a variety of complex duties involved in administering, coordinating, and organizing high-throughput genomics experiments in support of research efforts in the Reddy Lab at Duke, which currently includes the PI and 15 additional lab members. The work will be in support of large-scale production style data generation projects in the lab, as well as several research consortia and programs that are externally funded. Coordination will also extend to other Duke labs and labs at other research institutions. Work will be performed under the direction of PI Reddy. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• 50% - Contribute to lab research by assisting with in vivo and in vitro experiments. Those research responsibilities include working directly with postdocs and graduate students in spport of their research. Those tasks include:
  • Track and manage of a mouse colony of 50-100 mice through breeding and genotyping; mouse handling and dissections to isolate primary cells; large scale primary culture using sterile technique; expansion and differentiation of cells in preparation of experiments.
  • Run regular checks for cell culture containments and validate cell line identity.
  • Transfecting cells using both transient and viral approaches, characterizing and purifying cells using magnetic and fluorescence assisted cell sorting.
  • Targeted genome and epigenome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 based tools
  • Isolation of nucleic acids through chromatin immunoprecipitation, RNA and DNA purifications
  • Complete a variety of molecular biology assays including RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, STARR-seq, etc.

• 50% - Manage and coordinate day-to-day lab operation, including developing policies and procedures for maintaining lab reagent stocks, lab maintenance, managing and communicating supply delays and/or alternative solutions, and identifying upcoming challenges to be resolved. Complete tasks related to the above goals including preparation of reagent stocks, cell-grown media, and buffers; maintaining sufficient supplies and equipment for performance of duties; cleaning and maintain laboratory equipment.

• Complete lab ordering of supplies from Buy@Duke and directly from vendors when required, and confirming receipt. Coordinating with PI, research team, departmental business office, and grant administration on maintaining lab supplies.
• Oversee and coordinate equipment maintenance agreements with equipment vendors such as high-throughput sequencers, PCR machines, centrifuges, specialized refrigerators and freezers, etc. Complete and coordinate routine and emergency maintenance as needed. Coordinate with research team on issues and potential impact to lab timelines.
• Organize lab training for sequencers and new technologies and equipment. Manage lab safety protocols and annual reviews.  
• Maintain quality checks on safety of laboratories, including biohazards and ensure maintenance of the facilities.

Minimum Qualifications

Work generally requires skills acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree in botany, biology, zoology, psychology or other science related scientific field program.

Work requires two years of research experience. A related master's OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE degree may offset required years of experience on a 1:1 basis, e.g., a two year master's degree in lieu of two years of experience.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.