The Stanford University Department of Medicine / Division of Cardiovascular Medicine seeks a Life Sciences Technician 1 at 100% time. The LST will work with mammalian tissue cultures under Stanford University-approved protocols and will create laboratory buffers and reagents. The position also requires accurate experiment record-keeping and the ability to work in a team-oriented environment. Opportunities for growth in responsibility.
This is a full-time position, Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 4 pm, with some flexibility in the work hours. It may require some evening and weekend shifts. Applicants should have experience with gnotobiotic animals and maintain animal husbandry and breeding records. The selected candidate will perform highly detailed procedures on animals and gnotobiotic equipment with minimal supervision to ensure compliance with sterility requirements.
Core Duties
- Very simple animal dissection such as removing a readily accessible organ, preparation before and assistance during surgery, administration of medication and post-surgery care.
- Histological procedures involving fixation of tissue and staining specimens with stains that do not require microscopic control in proceeding from step to step.
- Maintenance and transfer of established cell lines where the culture conditions are well defined.
- Biochemical assays (often colorimetric or spectrophotometric) of compounds or enzymatic activity using well-established procedures where the determination of any settings or adjustments is provided to the technician.
- Molecular biology assays (polymerase chain reaction, sequencing reactions) where the protocol is well established.
- Operation of instruments (e.g., spectrophotometer, fraction collector, scintillation counter, PCR machines, light microscope, cell counter) where the settings are simple or prescribed; techniques such as centrifugation (not involving density gradients) or limited black and white photography.
- Isolation, purification and maintenance of bacteria and basic manipulation of bacterial plasmids using well-established protocols; determination of the concentration of cells.
- Complete and accurate documentation of the work performed.
Minimum Education and Experience
One year’s employment experience in laboratory work or a combination of equivalent education and relevant work experience/training (e.g., one year of college science).
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Work requires the ability to follow detailed instructions and keep accurate records.