Technical Assistant I/II - Li Lab (Relocation Assistance Available!)

The Li lab is broadly interested in tissue circuits that control the formation and physiology of mammalian organs. Organs, such as the lung, liver and kidney, are made of many different types of cells. They constantly communicate with each other to determine the pattern, shape, and size of the organ. Their communication also modulates the physiological states of the organ during development and aging. We are trying to learn the “rules” of such cell communication and use the “rules” to inform how to engineer tissues for regenerative medicine and how to design therapeutic interventions to restore the tissue function. The research program lies at the interface between developmental/stem cell biology, synthetic biology, tissue engineering, and systems biology. Some key techniques used in the lab include genetic engineering of mammalian cells and mice, stem cell culture, quantitative fluorescence imaging, and computational modeling. 

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY

The successful candidate is expected to spend ~80% of the time working on research projects, including (1) Designing and performing bench-level experiments and small independent research projects, and analyzing experimental data; (2) Participating in group scientific discussion. At the same time, the candidate assumes the responsibility of managing lab common reagents/supplies and coordinating with other lab members to perform key lab housekeeping tasks.  

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

• Working with primary tissues to perform in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence staining, and fluorescent microscopy imaging (widefield and confocal)
• Working with human/mouse cell culture
• Collaborating with other lab members on other techniques, such as single-cell RNA-sequencing and flow cytometry
• Managing lab orders for shared reagents and supplies
• Other duties, as assigned.
  
  
  QUALIFICATIONS
• For Technical Assistant I: Bachelor’s degree in biology or a field directly related to the work. Must have 1-2 years of bench-work experience working in a research laboratory part-time
• For Technical Assistant II: Bachelor’s degree in biology or a field directly related to the work.  Must have 2 years of experience working full-time in a research laboratory. (Master's degree, at least one year of directly related, full time lab experience). 
• Experience in working with animal/human tissues and/or cell culture is preferred
• Good and timely communication skills
• Strong team-work spirits 
• Strong work ethic, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills
• Motivation to learn and desire to read primary literature