RESEARCH TECHNICIAN III

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Job description

School of Medicine:

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked tenth among its peers, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where traditional barriers are low, interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced, and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve humanhealth locally and around the globe.

Comprised of 2,400 faculty physicians and researchers, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing and Duke University Health System create Duke Health. Duke Health is a world-class health care network. Founded in 1998 to provide efficient, responsive care, the health system offers a full network of health services and encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Primary Care, Private Diagnostic Clinic, Duke Home and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Research Technician III

Saunders Lab

Position Overview

The Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) continues to lead cutting edge vaccine research against infectious diseases that impact global health. Basic science discoveries made using a variety of human and pathogen-derived proteins, designed, expressed and purified by a collaborative DHVI team have contributed to the identification of vaccine and therapeutic candidates currently being produced in Good Manufacturing Practice facilities for early phase clinical trials.

The proteins derived from HIV envelope will be designed and expressed as candidate vaccine immunogens that will also be used to probe B cells in humans and rhesus macaques in an effort to characterize B cells that can be stimulated by these immunogens. These proteins will also be used to functionally characterize B cell derived antibodies. Thus, our efforts are aimed at identifying and characterizing candidate immunogens and the target B cells to be harnessed by an effective HIV vaccine.

Responsibilities

• Perform vaccine research focusing on production of recombinant antibodies and HIV envelopes
• Master cell culture techniques to express protein in eukaryotic cells through transient transfection
• Perform the following experimental activities:
  • Molecular biology assays such as PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, DNA preparation
  • Sanger sequencing of plasmid DNA
  • Large scale antibody, HIV-1 envelope, and host protein production and purification
  • Analysis of recombinant antibodies and HIV-1 envelopes using biochemical and immunological techniques, such as FPLC, SDS-PAGE, Western blots and ELISA
  • HIV-1 envelope and antibody sequence analysis
  • Biotinylation and fluorescent labeling of recombinant proteins
  • Flow cytometry analysis of fluorescent proteins
• Understand and comply with all safety standards and procedures to ensure a safe working environment for all laboratory staff
• Design, execute, analyze, and archive experiments in a manner that is scientifically justifiable, reliable and understandable to others
• Help manage protein inventories
• Keep lab equipment, chemicals reagents, and supplies in excellent order
• Perform routine lab maintenance, cleaning, organizing, and restocking supplies
• Track work and compliantly order materials and reagents associated with numerous projects under multiple grants
• Learn new techniques from colleagues, develop new techniques for the lab, and teach them to others
• Review primary data with your supervisor
• Collaborate with other staff and perform other duties as requested by the Principal Investigator or senior lab staff
• Closely follow all standard operating procedures

Required Qualifications at this Level

• Education/Training: Work generally requires skills acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree in botany, biology, zoology, psychology or other science related scientific field program.
• Experience: Work requires two years of research experience. A related master's degree may offset required years of experience on a 1:1 basis, e.g., a two year master's degree in lieu of two years of experience. OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.