School of Medicine

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Occupational Summary

The Miao laboratory in the Department of Integrative Immunobiology at Duke University is seeking an entry-level Lab Technician (no degree or experience required). You will be an integral part of our laboratory team and will be an essential team member who is helping us make new discoveries. We are eager to welcome you into our team of researchers who have come together from countries around the world in order to form a lab family. We hope that our medically relevant discoveries will someday lead to new treatments for infectious diseases.

The Miao laboratory uses both animal and cell culture models to study infectious disease, with a particular focus on bacteria that try to invade the cells of the body and how those cells need to kill themselves to stop the infection. We are seeking a dedicated and responsible individual to perform support duties in the lab, with the primary focus being mouse husbandry tasks. Candidate should have excellent communication skills, be able to work in a team, be detail-oriented, and be able to learn established workflows in the lab. No prior experience in mouse husbandry or laboratory work is necessary as all skills will be trained on the job. Must be willing to communicate via Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Outlook (on personal phone and university computers). Experience with Microsoft Excel is preferred. After a training period, the time of shifts will be flexible, with 40 hours worked per week (Monday-Friday).

We value diversity in backgrounds and experience and will provide on the job training for all techniques. Therefore, we welcome applications from individuals who may not have expertise in all the techniques we use but have the drive and ability to learn them.

In addition to applying online please send a short cover letter, resume or CV, and list of 2 references.

Work Performed

Work under the supervision of the lab manager to maintain and organize a colony of ~2000 mice in animal biosafety level-1 (ABSL-1) conditions. Perform checks for new mouse pups that are born and move young mice to new cages separate from the mothers when they are ready to be weaned, working in a team with undergraduate workers in the lab. Learn how to manage the retirement of breeders and to manage the mouse colony size. Maintain Excel spreadsheet to accurately reflect critical information such as cage location, number of mice in each cage, litter birthdates, and more. Perform mouse handling procedures such as ear punch for genotyping as well as euthanasia. Monitor veterinary cases and keep health records. Communicate with lab manager, lab members, PI, and Duke animal husbandry staff in the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources. Communicate with researchers in the lab to understand the current need for each mouse strain for experiments.

Other tasks in the main lab will include: assist lab manager with maintenance and disposal of chemical and biohazardous materials; make media, buffer, and antibiotic solutions; procure and receive goods, store at proper temperature; and other tasks related to laboratory maintenance, organization, and upkeep.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training:

Completion of high school education or equivalent.

Experience:

None required

Skills:

On the job training will be provided. Experience with Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet program is not essential, but would be helpful.

Job Code: 00000399 LAB TECHNICIAN
Job Level: 06

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