Senior Technician

Medirest Signature; North East; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Medirest Signature is seeking a lab technician to generate genomic data for a project on the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Britain. The role involves preparing samples for Next Generation Sequencing, maintaining detailed records, and contributing to lab culture and training. Designated funding for professional development over two years will be provided to enhance skills and technical training.

Benefits

Funds for professional development courses

Qualifications

• Experience with Next Generation Sequencing techniques and associated lab work.
• Ability to maintain a detailed database and laboratory notebook.
• Experience in training students and contributing to lab culture.

Responsibilities

• Perform lab work necessary for preparing samples for Next Generation Sequencing.
• Maintain a detailed database of samples and contribute to lab meetings.
• Ensure operational checks and cleanliness of the ancient DNA clean rooms.

Job description

The purpose of this role is to generate genomic data that will enable research into the evolution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in Britain over the last five millennia in response to human behaviour and dramatic demographic changes, such as those caused by the Black Death. The MTBC comprises many lineages that cause TB in human and animal hosts, but only a handful of lineages are responsible for the high mortality and incidence observed globally today. Can the origin of these more "successful" lineages be traced to Britain, and did heightened periods of social inequality accelerate their adaptive evolution?

The successful candidate will join the Wellcome Trust funded project, Exploring the contribution of social inequality to the evolution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex across five millennia ( ). To help answer the project's questions, they will perform all necessary lab work to prepare samples for Next Generation Sequencing, including DNA extraction, DNA quantification, DNA library preparation and indexing, library amplification and cleanup, and library quality control and pooling using Qubit, Tape Station, and qPCR technologies from hundreds of archaeological skeletal remains. They will also be responsible for performing in-solution hybridisation capture on promising libraries. Additionally, they will be responsible for preparing all the necessary buffers, solutions, and dilutions from stocks and performing routine operational checks and UV-sterilization of the restricted-access ancient DNA clean rooms. The successful candidate will maintain a detailed database of samples and a laboratory notebook. They will also contribute to our diverse and friendly lab culture by acting as a respectful lab member, training MSc and PhD students when appropriate, and attending and presenting in biweekly lab meetings.

We are pleased to be able to offer the successful candidate designated funding over the two years for professional development, such as online or in-person courses, technical training, and/or conference attendance.