Research Technician

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT: 

The Shalek Lab (http://shaleklab.com, MIT, Broad Institute, and Ragon Institute), which specializes in leveraging novel single-cell genomic approaches to understand the behaviors of complex biological systems. For this position, there will be a specific focus on infectious disease, primarily in the study of the host response to tuberculosis infection. Research questions will center on understanding the relationship between T cell clonality and control of MTB but also extend to studies of initial granuloma formation and how cells communicate and interact with their microenvironment. The core technique learned and applied will be Seq-Well, an in- house and customizable platform for single cell RNA-sequencing scRNA-seq library generation from thousands of cells in parallel. The project will entail careful consideration of study design, interfacing with clinical teams, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), RNA-seq library preparation, next generation sequencing (NGS), data analysis in R, interpreting and contextualizing findings, and communicating results to the lab and larger community.

The position offers an opportunity to gain fundamental skills working in an interdisciplinary and technologically driven environment and to gain access to the intellectual resources available across all three institutes.

 

 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Prepares basic solutions and performs base-level procedures as assigned (i.e. – pipetting, cell and tissue culture, etc.)

Maintains laboratory notebook

Understands and applies basic scientific techniques 

Conducts analysis of results and may begin interpretation of results

Sets up and prepares routine experiments as directed

Prepares lab reagents, chemicals, instruments and equipment

May perform independent literature searches

Assists with organizing materials for publication or presentation

Maintains and orders supplies

A Research Technician II performs the duties of a Research Technician I (above) and may also:

Execute protocols of non-routine experiments

Assist the PI(s) with determining the most suitable methodology

Perform basic design and modification of protocols

Calculate, transcribe and analyze data

Prepare and present reports

Organize and summarize acquired data, using scientific and statistical techniques.

Organize and/or draft material for the preparation of research papers, manuscripts and other documents for publication and/or presentation. 

Participate in the design of experiments or field work. 

 

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED: 

Ability to work independently and as a team member

Good communication skills

Computer literacy

Working knowledge of clinical research protocols

Ability to perform multiple tasks independently

​​​​​​​The Research Technician II should also possess:

Analytical skills and the ability to resolve technical problems

Ability to interpret acceptability of data results

Working knowledge of data management programs

Demonstrated competence in research techniques and methodologies

 

 

EDUCATION: 

Bachelor’s degree required. 

EXPERIENCE: 

New graduates with some lab experience (via course work, internships, etc.) or those without any prior research experience will be considered for the Research Technician I position outlined above.

Those with a minimum of 1 year of directly related work experience will be considered for a Research Technician II position. 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY (if applicable): 

A Research Technician II may serve as a team leader to lab assistants and Research Technician I’s.