Summary

The Research Assistant will have an opportunity to help build a lab from the ground up, determining not just the physical items (equipment and reagents) in the lab, but also the lab’s culture. This role would be ideal for someone who likes to wear many hats.

The Erwin Lab investigates the functional role of repetitive DNA with a focus on translating these discoveries into new diagnostics and therapies for human health. Our research vision is based on two discoveries. First, we developed a new class of synthetic transcriptional regulators that target repetitive DNA sequences with high affinity and specificity (Erwin et al, Science 2017). The resulting patents were licensed by a startup company who initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with Friedreich’s ataxia earlier this year. Second, we uncovered that recurrent repeat expansions represent an overlooked source of genetic variation in cancer (Erwin et al, Nature, 2023). The Erwin Lab is building on these discoveries with the development and application of tools in genomics, molecular biology, and chemical biology. Our goal is to uncover the functions of repetitive DNA, the final frontier of the genome.
 

Job Duties

• Assist with equipment purchase and maintenance:
• Purchase supplies.
• Serve as biosafety officer for the laboratory.
• Culture human cancer cell lines and cell lines derived from patients with neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., GM15850, an EBV-transformed PBMC line from a patient with Friedreich’s ataxia)
• Conduct laboratory research with Laboratory Director and/or Principal Investigator as opportunities are available.

Minimum Qualifications

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

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in basic science or a related field.
• Two years of lab experience, including experience in mammalian cell culture and basic molecular biology techniques such as cloning.
• Experienced in mammalian cell culture.