Research Laboratory Manager

Research Laboratory Manager

Temporary 4-year Post

UCD - University College Dublin - School of Biology and Environmental Science

Dublin, Ireland

Position Summary:

Applications are invited for a temporary post of a Research Laboratory Manager within UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science.

Two of the greatest challenges that society faces are healthy ageing and better resistance to infectious diseases. BATPROTECT (a six-year funded ERC SYNERGY project) will provide novel solutions to both of these challenges by developing bats as new mammalian model systems. Bats are unique among mammals, having evolved extended healthspans and extraordinary disease resistance, allowing them to asymptomatically live with many viruses. The aim of BatProtect, is to uncover and validate the regulation of the molecular pathways that drive longer healthspan in mammals, developing bats as an alternative model study system. This will provide a better understanding of the ageing process and its genomic regulation, thus identifying novel molecular targets, that in the future, could be modified to alleviate human ageing.

To do this, wild and captive populations of exceptionally long-lived and short-lived bats will be studied as they age- integrating cutting-edge comparative phylogenomics, with novel ex-vivo cell biology and wildlife population transcriptomics- to uncover the protective cellular mechanisms that have evolved in bats to enable them to have longer ‘health-spans’. This project will integrate small mammal field work, with comparative genomics, transcriptomics, comparative cell and ageing biology.

We are looking for a dynamic and skilled individual to join the Teeling lab at UCD. The Research Laboratory Manager will be involved in all aspects of this project, from field biology, molecular data generation, comparative genomics and cell biology and will work closely with PI Teeling in further developing the molecular assays and generating the required data.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the day-to-day running and operation of the Teeling laboratory in consultation with the PI;
• Aid in the generation of all molecular data as requested by the PI;
• Co-ordinate and actively participate in the field collections of data and biological samples each year;
• Optimise and develop new laboratory protocols for the generation of genetic data in consultation with the PI;
• Aid the BSC, MSc, PhD students, PI and Postdoctoral Fellows in the generation of molecular data;
• Help in the analyses of molecular data and in the writing of research papers as requested;
• Be actively involved in supporting the PI in the delivery of teaching and supervision of undergraduates and MSc students;
• Ensure the smooth running of the laboratory, purchasing of consumables, shipping of samples and in maintaining the DNA and RNA collections;
• Ensure the smooth management, upkeep and generation of the molecular databases and biobanks of the laboratory;
• Undertake any other any other related work for the PI, BatLab or BatProtect, as assigned by the Principal Investigator or nominee.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

• M.Sc./Ph.D. in Molecular Biology or equivalent experience in a molecular laboratory;
• Demonstrated experience in the preservation, extraction and quantification of RNA and DNA from animal tissues;
• Experience in the generation of molecular data in the laboratory - e.g. PCR, DNA extraction, RNA extraction, mtDNA isolation, RNA generation, next generation library prep and analyses, qPCR, DNA preservation, Sequencing, cell culture;
• Experience in working in an integrative molecular biology laboratory;
• Demonstrated experience in data base development and maintenance for DNA/RNA collections from multiple species and tissue types;
• Evidence of optimising and developing molecular protocols;
• Demonstrated research laboratory management experience or the equivalent;
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience in managing a team;
• Willingness to participate in field collections, laboratory analyses, paper preparation, cell culture, training of students;
• Appropriate record of publications in relevant journals;
• Willingness and ability to interact with diverse research teams and scientific groups, across different time zones and institutes;
• Excelled interpersonal, communication and administrative experience;
• Candidates must demonstrate an awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion agenda.

Desirable:

• An understanding of the molecular markers and their interactions driving the ageing process;
• Database development/implementation skills;
• Small mammal research skills;
• Experience in extraction RNA/DNA from small non-lethally acquired mammal samples (e.g. blood, skin biopsies);
• Next Generation Technology Skills and Experience;
• Skills in analysing molecular data;
• Cell culture experience;
• Field research skills particularly with bats.

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