Summary

This is a lab bench research staff position in an Institutional Advanced Technology Core Facility for "Protein and Monoclonal Antibody Production (PMAPC)". The primary mission of the PMAP Core is to provide technical and scientific expertise for expression and purification of recombinant proteins of interest for BCM investigators. Core services are comprehensive including up-front experimental design and construction of expression vectors, expression of recombinant proteins in various scale-up cell culture systems (bacteria, insect and mammalian cells), protein purification and quality control characterization of purified protein products. Position requires strong background in biochemistry and molecular biology and extensive research experience with cell culture technologies, protein purification and biochemical analysis and characterization of proteins. 

Job Duties

• Expression of recombinant protein vectors in various systems including Sf9 insect cells, competent bacterial cells and mammalian HEK-293 cells. 
• Maintain cell culture lines and expand to large volumes for recombinant protein expression in bioreactors.
• Cell culture transfections, E.Coli transformations and isolation, baculovirus plaque purification and tittering.  
• Purification of recombinant proteins by FPLC affinity and column chromatography methods.
• Characterization of purified proteins by immunoblotting, SDS-PAGE, size exclusion chromatography and optical scanning methods. 
• Plasmid and DNA/RNA preparations and analysis.
• Lab management administrative duties including; equipment maintenance,inventory and ordering supplies, scheduling projects, recording and reporting results and assist with billing core users through the iLabs system.      

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Basic Science or related field. 
• Four years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor of Sciences degree in appropriate areas of biological sciences with focus on biochemistry and molecular biology and 5 years experience in addition to formal education in basic science biomedical research laboratories.
• A masters degree is preferred.
• Research experience with demonstrated skilled expertise is required in the following areas: biochemical and biophysical analysis of proteins, protein purification, FPLC column chromatography, molecular cloning of gene expression vectors, plasmid preparations and analysis, DNA and RNA isolation, cell cultures, preparation and plaque purification of recombinant baculoviruses and and gene transfection of mammalian cell cultures.
• Requires excellent communication (written and oral), organizational, record keeping and customer service skills.
• Successful candidate should have sufficient skills and experience to conduct complete experimental standard operating procedures in an independent manner and to be able to trouble shoot problems and bring them to the attention of core directors.