The Wythe Lab is currently seeking a research technician to join our team to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the basis of vascular malformations and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on studying the vasculature in the brain. An ideal applicant will be a self started, motivated to learn new techniques, organized, works well in a team environment, and has excellent organizational skills and a good understanding of basic molecular biology or biochemistry. An added bonus is if the applicant is experienced working with cell culture models, zebrafish, or mice. This position is ideal for graduating seniors looking to take a year or two off before medical school or graduate school that would like to publish papers and get extensive research experience.

The individual hired will have a number of specific duties related to the overall goal of the research effort. They will include generating DNA constructs for generation of transgenic mice, basic manipulation of mouse embryos, maintenance of a mouse colony, and use of a variety of developmental biology, cell culture, immunohistochemical and molecular biology techniques to analyze tissues and cells in order to understand how endothelial cells differentiate into arterial and venous cells during development. The candidate will interact with the supervisor on a daily basis, but will be expected to independently perform and execute successful experiments, and to perform routine lab maintenance and organization. A lack of mouse experience can be offset by advanced skills in cell culture and biochemistry or cell-based assays, or extensive experience with zebrafish husbandry and embryology.

Total Work Effort

60%- Work with mouse or zebrafish models. General animal husbandry and maintenance of a medium size mouse or zebrafish colony. Embryo dissection and processing of fixed samples for. X-gal staining, in-situ hybridization, and antibody staining (whole mount and section) and imaging (confocal, etc.).
5%- Lab Maintenance. Sharing general lab maintenance responsibilities with other lab members (cleaning, etc), ordering supplies from vendors and negotiating price quotes, inventory of supplies and chemicals, scheduling and organizing maintenance and repair of laboratory equipment, and making general solutions.
20%- Molecular biology and biochemistry. Restriction enzyme digestion and mapping, agarose and acrylamide gel electrophoresis, isolation of DNA from agarose gel, ligation of DNA, transformation of DNA, mini- and maxi-preparation of DNA, PCR, isolation of RNA, southern, northern, and western blotting, synthesis of cDNA from RNA, quantitative RT-PCR, in-vitro transcription. Documents results of experiments (keep an electronic lab notebook and make PPTs of results).
10%- Data Analysis. Simple data analysis in excel spreadsheet format by performing arithmetical operations (multiplication, division, etc) on a set of data points, as well as obtaining the mean, standard deviation, and standard error of a sample set. Results would be plotted on simple charts.
5%- Performs other job related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements Lab And Research Technician 1

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

Experience: At least 1 year of lab experience, which may include student experience. Bachelor's degree will be considered in lieu of experience.

Minimum Requirements Lab And Research Technician 2

Education: Associate's degree

Experience: At least 2 years of lab experience which may include student experience. Bachelor's degree in related science will be considered in lieu of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

A working, fundamental knowledge of basic molecular biology
Mouse or zebrafish husbandry and colony maintenance
PCR-based genotyping
Proficiency with the Microsoft office suite (excel, word, PowerPoint) and computers in general
Rigorous attention to detail, excellent organization and record keeping skills
Familiarity with FileMaker pro
Ability to learn and employ new software for record keeping and database management.

Physical Demands

This position can spend extensive periods of time standing and squatting while conducting experiments or caring for animals. Also requires keyboarding and other bench work and animal procedures requiring finer finger manipulation.

Application Instructions: Apply Now. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0062735. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

A CV/resume
A cover letter is optional but strongly encouraged

All documents can be loaded into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. This position can not hire applicants who require visa sponsorship.

For questions about the application process, please contact Margaret Weeks, Academic Recruiter. Before a formal offer of employment is extended, the selected candidate will undergo a background check per university policy.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.

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