What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Assistant, Senior position at Vanderbilt University?
The Research Assistant, Senior is part of the Lau Lab in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. This position provides key technical support for the lab’s experimental research in gastrointestinal biology and tissue modeling. The primary role is to contribute to both in vivo and in vitro workflows while supporting broader lab goals and priorities. This includes performing molecular biology techniques, staining, microscopy, organoid culture and in vivo mouse experiments and management.
Day-to-day responsibilities include molecular biology (e.g., PCR), mouse colony management, tissue dissection, and supporting hybridization chain reaction fluorescence in situ hybridization (HCR-FISH). The Research Assistant, Senior plays a crucial role in maintaining lab operations, working closely with multiple lab members, alternating between projects as needed based on priorities and personnel availability.
For experimental tasks, the Research Assistant, Senior will support molecular biology research focused on mouse experiments and relevant data collection. They will also be responsible for mouse colony management and other molecular assays, specifically staining and microscopy.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Molecular biology – DNA extraction and PCR-based Genotyping
- Single cell sequencing
- Aseptic survival surgeries on small animals
- Gastrointestinal organoid cell culture
- Oral gavage, Injectable treatments on small animals for experimental purposes
- Mouse colony management
- Mouse handling, genotyping, treatments, ear tagging, tailing
- Maintaining mouse colony records
- HCR-FISH & IF – antibody staining
- Intravital microscopy
- Cut and process tissue slides for histological and imaging studies
- Mouse dissection and tissue collection
- Cryopreservation of experimental tissue, different cell lines and organoids
- Cryosectioning
- Working with Human patient-derived material to create single cells for DNA sequencing, Organoids and other cell culture work
- Day-to-day lab management such as keeping instruments running and ordering supplies § routine lab work such as buffer stock preparation, aliquoting reagents, maintaining electronic records, molecular biology
- Analyzing Research data and Updating research data
Supervisory Relationships:
This position does not have supervisory responsibility, this position reports administratively and functionally to the PI, Ken Lau.
Qualifications
- Bachelors in a biology field is strongly preferred.
- Molecular biology skill is strongly preferred.
- Mouse experience is strongly preferred.
- 4 years of lab experience is strongly preferred
Day-to-day responsibilities include molecular biology (e.g., PCR), mouse colony management, tissue dissection, and supporting hybridization chain reaction fluorescence in situ hybridization (HCR-FISH). The Research Assistant, Senior plays a crucial role in maintaining lab operations, working closely with multiple lab members, alternating between projects as needed based on priorities and personnel availability.
For experimental tasks, the Research Assistant, Senior will support molecular biology research focused on mouse experiments and relevant data collection. They will also be responsible for mouse colony management and other molecular assays, specifically staining and microscopy.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Molecular biology – DNA extraction and PCR-based Genotyping
- Single cell sequencing
- Aseptic survival surgeries on small animals
- Gastrointestinal organoid cell culture
- Oral gavage, Injectable treatments on small animals for experimental purposes
- Mouse colony management
- Mouse handling, genotyping, treatments, ear tagging, tailing
- Maintaining mouse colony records
- HCR-FISH & IF – antibody staining
- Intravital microscopy
- Cut and process tissue slides for histological and imaging studies
- Mouse dissection and tissue collection
- Cryopreservation of experimental tissue, different cell lines and organoids
- Cryosectioning
- Working with Human patient-derived material to create single cells for DNA sequencing, Organoids and other cell culture work
- Day-to-day lab management such as keeping instruments running and ordering supplies § routine lab work such as buffer stock preparation, aliquoting reagents, maintaining electronic records, molecular biology
- Analyzing Research data and Updating research data
Supervisory Relationships:
This position does not have supervisory responsibility, this position reports administratively and functionally to the PI, Ken Lau.
Qualifications
- Bachelors in a biology field is strongly preferred.
- Molecular biology skill is strongly preferred.
- Mouse experience is strongly preferred.
- 4 years of lab experience is strongly preferred
