Part-Time Biology Research Assistant
Indiana University

Job Info

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Department

BIOLOGY (BL-BI-IUBLA)

Department Information

We are a large, unified department with strong undergraduate degrees, nationally-ranked graduate programs, and world-class research spanning the breadth of biological questions and experimental systems, from ecosystems to microbiology and developmental biology, from evolution to cell biology, from molecular biology to systems biology, bioinformatics, and genomics. This is an exciting time for Biology - enormous advances in global genome analysis coupled with unprecedented developments in interdisciplinary research have made the 21st century the Century of Biology. We invite you to join us in these exciting times.

The Department of Biology is part of The College of Arts + Sciences, the oldest and largest academic division of Indiana University. We are committed to diversity and inclusion.

Job Summary

This is an excellent opportunity for recently graduated undergraduate students who wish to get research experience before applying to graduate school. Each of the technicians in the Tracey lab has successfully transitioned to PhD programs after two-three years in this role. The job is a mix of Drosophila stock maintenance (25%), molecular biology (25%) and laboratory support tasks (50%).

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Maintains Drosophila (fruit fly) stocks, monitors health of stock; determines cause of unhealthy stock and administers proper care procedures accordingly. Masters genetic characteristics of each strain; monitors and remembers culture conditions from one generation of stock to the next. Maintains records of stock maintenance.
• Orders supplies for the laboratory.
• Performs molecular biology. Extracts DNA, performs PCR reactions, DNA sequencing and molecular cloning experiments.
• General lab support.
• Prepares bacteriology plates, prepare stock solutions.

Qualifications

EDUCATION

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent (such as HSED or GED) with coursework in biology or a related field

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Biology

SKILLS

Required

• Good organizational skills
• Excellent decision making skills since position operates under limited supervision
• Attentive to detail and responsible
• Ability to follow written instructions
• Ability to keep accurate records
• Good judgement

Working Conditions / Demands

Must be able to be sedentary for extended periods with upper part of the body descended forward over microscope eye tubes. Repetitive work with the hands to manipulate stock vials. Moving stock trays (less than 10 pounds) and discard trays (more than 10 pounds) each day.

Additional Information

Fly stock maintenance involves tedious, repetitive work and the need to pay attention. During the transfer to fresh media, each fly stock is visually inspected through a microscope. Each stock is genetically unique, but in many cases the differences cannot be distinguished visually. It is critical that cultures from one stock never become inadvertently mixed with cultures from another. In addition, some strains produce few males or few females so checking that flies of both sexes are present in each new subculture is necessary. Once the transfer is made to fresh media, each stock is identified with a tag that shows the complete genotype. Monitoring the health of a stock also requires close attention, as the signs of low-level bacterial or fungal infection can be subtle, yet failure to make an accurate assessment of infection status results in continually unhealthy stocks and provides a focus of infection that can spread to other stocks.

Work Location

Tracey Lab

Department of Biology

Advertised Salary

$15 - $17 per hour based on experience.

Work Hours

Position is capped at 29 hours per week.

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Multiple plan options for medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Health Savings Account with generous IU contribution
• Life insurance, LTD, and AD&D options
• Base retirement plan contribution from IU, subject to vesting
• Additional supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition benefit for IU classes
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing our online Benefits Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: Part Time Employee

FLSA: Nonexempt

Job Function: Part Time Employee

Job Family: Part Time Employee
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Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. Indiana University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities, including employment and admission, as required by Title IX. Questions or complaints regarding Title IX may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or the university Title IX Coordinator. See Indiana University's Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

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Contact Us

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Telephone: 812-856-1234

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