Provide services as a Mouse Technician in support of the overall functions of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This position will include mouse colony maintenance (tagging, tailing, weaning) and genotyping procedures, as well as general mouse handling and assistance with post-surgical care and injections.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct small animal husbandry, animal handling, and specific procedures. Interpret genotyping results and maintain genotyping records.
• Perform genotyping PCR to maintain transgenic mouse colonies used in projects, including images of genotyping PCR gels and tabulation of genotyping results. 2
• Perform animal handling and specific procedures.
• Perform laboratory and animal technical duties to include, but not limited to: weighing animals and feed, blood withdrawals, performing injections, operating behavioral equipment.
• Maintain animal colonies and organization of animal inventory; monitor procedures; maintain the amounts of animals used and animal procurement.
• Perform maintenance of large breeding colonies; maintain small animal colonies including handling of animals for hormone injection, mating, timed mating, and other experimental procedures; and update and maintain records of breeding colonies, ear identification, mating of breeding pairs, fostering and establishment of timed pregnancies. 1
• Perform mating, checking for estrus, weaning, tail clipping, animal identification, fostering of pups and euthanasia.
• Maintain and monitor the health, condition, and integrity of the animals; inspecting them each day for viability and health status.
• Report any animal health, care, and/or well-being concerns to the appropriate facility management staff and facility veterinarians.
• Ensure the humane treatment of animals in the laboratory.
• Prepare animals for surgery and ensure proper disposal of animal carcasses.
• Maintain integrity of the research process by following good laboratory practices including: detailed record keeping of methods, routine animal observations, data collections.
• Work with staff on organizing the animal shipment to and from the facility. Order and receive small animal shipments.
• Perform and maintain records of molecular biology protocols. 3
• Perform routine laboratory maintenance including laboratory stock of reagents and materials. Maintain inventory of commonly used lab supplies and materials.
• Check current inventory in the laboratory and order appropriate animals, media, buffers, reagents, tissue samples and other required materials.
• Recognize unexpected test discrepancies; identify and report causes of discrepancies; analyze problems and recommend solutions.
• Prepare animals for experiments.
• Perform procurement, processing, and preservation of specimens so as to maintain sample identification and prevention of cross contamination.
• Collect blood and tissue samples from animals.
• Provide technical guidance and assistance for researchers interested in well-established protocols. Train researchers in proper animal handling and surgical techniques.
• Train laboratory members in the proper and safe use of equipment.
• Clean Equipment - Weekly
• Run Validation - Ad-Hoc
• Inspect Equipment - Ad-Hoc
• Meet with lab members to present updates - Weekly

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of high school diploma required.
• Skilled in PCR genotyping, maintaining accurate data notes, and mouse handling.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ability to multi-task and pay close attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and time management skills.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written.

• This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by this position.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

GAP Solutions provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to apply for a job us at recruiting@gapsi.com. You will need to reference the requisition number of the position in which you are interested. Your message will be routed to the appropriate recruiter who will assist you. Please note, this email address is only to be used for those individuals who need an accommodation to apply for a job. Emails for any other reason or those that do not include a requisition number will not be returned.