Research Scientist/Engineer 3

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

23h

About The Position

OVERVIEW: The UW Department of Microbiology has an excellent opportunity for Research Scientist/Engineer 3 position within Dr. Parsek’s Lab. Research in the Parsek Lab involves the study of bacterial communities. This research focuses on two aspects that are closely related. The first are the mechanisms by which the two intracellular secondary messengers, c-di-GMP and cAMP, control surface behavior in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These surface behaviors are crucial for understanding how this species forms biofilm communities. We seek to understand how the host environment controls the signaling pathways of these secondary messengers and to determine whether the innate immune response influences signaling responses. RESPONSIBILITIES: This position is identified to support Dr. Parsek's laboratory at the Department of Microbiology. The Research Scientist/Engineer-3 (RSE3) will function as the Laboratory Manager. They will perform research that is focused on understanding secondary signaling pathways in p. aeruginosa. This RSE3 position is research-focused and the expectation is that the candidate will drive the development of new techniques and knowledge to answer problems at the forefront of the field.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology or Immunology or a related field and four years of relevant experience working in a BSL1-2+ lab environment.
OR Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
This job requires detailed knowledge of basic molecular biology applied to bacterial pathogens.
A publication history demonstrating success in developing or implementing these techniques is required for this job.
Experience or exposure to secondary messenger signaling in pathogenic bacteria.
Experience with next-generation sequencing such as Illumina MiSeq or similar platform.

Nice To Haves

Masters or PhD in Microbiology or Immunology is highly desirable for this position.
Technical proficiency in performing and analyzing the results from standard molecular and biochemical techniques (immunoprecipitations, protein purification, cloning, next generation library preparation, etc.) is required for this job.
PhD in Microbiology or related field (e.g., Immunology) is highly preferred for this position.
Desirable, but not required skills are a knowledge of innate immune systems from diverse organisms, capacity to perform microscopic analyses of host-pathogen interactions.
Some experience with studying host-pathogen interactions at the level of the innate immune response is desired.

Responsibilities

Engage with PI and scientific collaborators, review grant funding Specific Aims, to research, contribute to, and refine project goals.
Plan and execute multiphase projects.
Plan and prepare manuscripts alongside PI.
Review and analyze data collected by delegated staff.
Present data to project team groups and establish conclusions and/or next steps in address of project goals.
Ensure agreed-upon project timelines and milestones are achieved.
When changes or delays to project timelines manifest, update the affected teams/personnel and collaborating groups and propose resolutions.
Analysis of microscopic data: image analysis of signaling responses in the host environment and the influence of the innate immune system.
Determining the logistics of running the project: reagents and supplies, instrumentation etc.
Analysis of scientific data preparation of reports, Lab Record keeping.
Communicate effectively with collaborators on the scope, execution, and reporting of projects.
Conduct work in BSL1-2+ as needed
Molecular biology, tissue culture, sample processing
Routine cloning and plasmid preps in e coli and P. aeruginosa, construction of relevant reporter constructs to evaluate expression patterns in different pathogenically relevant environments.
Western blot, gel electrophoresis, protein purification, DNA/RNA isolation, PCR/RT-PCR/RT-qPCR, and general bacterial genetics techniques.
The use of microfluidic devices to analyze gene expression in in vitro grown biofilm communities.
Identifying components of innate immunity and how they influence secondary messenger signaling.
Culturing bacteria, preparing freezer stocks, testing antibiotic resistance, etc.
Molecular biology tasks: DNA isolation, conventional PCR and qPCR, sequencing, molecular cloning and genetic engineering techniques, DNA fingerprinting, MLST typing etc.
Whole genome sequencing using Illumina MiSeq or similar platform.
Participating in parallel work on other projects currently carried out in the lab.
Overseeing and training personnel working on the same project.
Other duties as assigned.