Vanderbilt University Jobs

The Research Assistant is part of the Behringer Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is a key member of the research team responsible for supporting the research, organization, and day-to-day operations of the lab. This position requires skills in microbial cell culture, nucleic acid extraction, and project organization. Reporting directly to Dr. Megan Behringer (Principal Investigator), the Research Assistant will regularly work with the other members of the Behringer Lab to oversee the long-term culture of various anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, including Lactobacilli and Escherichia coli. Applicants with experience conducting experimental evolution or anerobic microbial cell culture are strongly preferred.

About the Work Unit:

The Department of Biological Sciences has an excellent staff to facilitate issue resolution involving personnel, financial management, supply and equipment orders proposal submission, and infrastructure. The faculty in the department carry out diverse research projects and often collaborate with other members within the department and in nearby departments. This department covers a broad spectrum of biology, from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms to populations and ecosystems. Award-winning faculty and graduate students teach and carry out research in Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the long-term culture of experimental populations including maintaining inventory of key media and reagents; coordinating daily transfers, periodic screening for contamination, and collections at key timepoints; and ensuring the glassware and spent cultures are appropriately sterilized. This is the major mission of the lab and underlies the majority of our investigation into how microbes adapt to stress.

• Perform nucleic acid extraction from long-term experimental cultures and prepare sample for submission to the genomic sequencing core facility.

• Help optimize new culture strategies to expand investigation to additional anerobic bacterial species.

• Assist with lab organization, such as ordering and receiving reagents, keeping chemical inventories and safety protocols current. The applicant will be expected to be highly organized and detail oriented to help manage the day-to-day operation of the lab.

• Other tasks as assigned.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not have supervisory responsibility, this position reports administratively to the departmental administrative manager and functionally to the PI.

Education and Certifications:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in fields of Biology, Ecology/Evolutionary Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or other related area.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 1 year of research experience is required.

• Prior experience in bacterial culture is necessary.

• Prior experience in conducting DNA extraction is necessary.

• Prior experience working with anaerobic bacteria is preferred.

• The ability to work with others in a mutually respectful environment that values honesty, integrity, and accountability is necessary.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.