Job Description

Position Summary:

The TERM Research Technician is part of the Behringer Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is a key member of the research team responsible for supporting the research, organization, and day-to-day operations of the lab. This position requires skills in microbial cell culture, nucleic acid extraction, and project organization. Reporting directly to Dr. Megan Behringer (Principal Investigator), the Research Assistant will regularly work with the other members of the Behringer Lab to oversee long-term culture of various anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, including Lactobacilli and Escherichia coli. Applicants with experience conducting experimental evolution or anerobic microbial cell culture are strongly preferred.

We are a young and vibrant team dedicated to understanding fundamental biological processes in a collaborative environment. The major research focus of this position is understanding how oxygen exposure shapes microbial evolution, which aligns with the global lab interests of how microbes evolve in stressful environments. This position would be a wonderful opportunity for recent graduates looking for an interim position to gain valuable research experience prior to pursuing a graduate degree.

About the Work Unit:

The Department of Biological Sciences has an excellent staff to facilitate issue resolution involving personnel, financial management, supply and equipment orders proposal submission, and infrastructure. The faculty in the department carry out diverse research projects and often collaborate with other members within the department and in nearby departments. This department covers a broad spectrum of biology, from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms to populations and ecosystems. Award-winning faculty and graduate students teach and carry out research in Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage the long-term culture of experimental populations including maintaining inventory of key media and reagents; coordinating daily transfers, periodic screening for contamination, and collections at key timepoints; and ensuring the glassware and spent cultures are appropriately sterilized. This is the major mission of the lab and underlies the majority of our investigation into how microbes adapt to stress.

Perform nucleic acid extraction from long-term experimental cultures and prepare sample for submission to the genomic sequencing core facility.

Help optimize new culture strategies to expand investigation to additional anerobic bacterial species.

Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

A Bachelor’s Degree in fields of Biology, Ecology/Evolutionary Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or other related area.
A minimum of 1 year research experience is required.
Prior experience in bacterial culture is necessary.
Prior experience in conducting DNA extraction is necessary.
Prior experience working with anaerobic bacteria is preferred.
Ability to work with others in a mutually respectful environment that values honesty, integrity, and accountability is necessary.


Supervisory Relationships
This position reports functionally to Dr. Megan Behringer and administratively to the departmental Administrative Manager.