Microbiology & Molecular Biology Research Assistant

Parsons; Maryland; On-site; USD 55,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons seeks Research Assistants – Microbiology and Molecular Biology to support infectious-disease, genomics, and biosurveillance research at NMRC BDRD. You will provide hands-on lab support for sample processing, molecular and microbiological methods, sequencing workflows, and research documentation.

Selected candidates will collaborate with scientists, research associates, and bioinformatics personnel in a multidisciplinary Government laboratory environment, working on-site at Fort Detrick.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology or a relevant biomedical-sciences field.
• At least two years of relevant microbiology experience.
• Practical laboratory skills and ability to follow detailed research protocols.
• Ability to maintain accurate lab and sample records.
• Strong organizational, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work under deadlines in a research-laboratory environment.
• Ability to adjust work hours occasionally for time-sensitive experiments.
• Availability for domestic and international travel lasting up to two to four weeks.
• U.S. citizenship due to federal contract requirements.
• Ability to satisfy background investigation, CAC, facility-access, and system-access requirements.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine microbiology and molecular-biology procedures under approved protocols.
• Collect, receive, process, label, and track research samples.
• Support nucleic-acid extraction, PCR, library preparation, sequencing, and quality-control activities.
• Assist with clinical, environmental, wastewater, bacterial, viral, animal, vector, or bacteriophage samples as assigned.
• Prepare reagents, media, supplies, and laboratory materials.
• Operate and maintain laboratory equipment in accordance with SOPs.
• Record experimental procedures, observations, results, and deviations accurately.
• Maintain sample, reagent, supply, and equipment inventories.
• Support protocol optimization, validation studies, and troubleshooting.
• Assist with preparation of data summaries, reports, posters, presentations, and SOPs.
• Follow laboratory safety, quality, data-handling, and research-compliance requirements.
• Support domestic or international field and partner-laboratory activities when required.

Skills

Bachelor in biology

Microbiology experience

Lab protocols

Record keeping

Organizational skills

Communication

Teamwork

Time management

Travel availability

U.S. citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in biology or relevant biomedical-sciences

Tools

PCR

NGS workflows

Nucleic-acid extraction

Sequencing

Job description

Parsons seeks Research Assistants – Microbiology and Molecular Biology to support infectious-disease, genomics, and biosurveillance research at NMRC BDRD. You will provide hands-on lab support for sample processing, molecular and microbiological methods, sequencing workflows, and research documentation.

Selected candidates will collaborate with scientists, research associates, and bioinformatics personnel in a multidisciplinary Government laboratory environment, working on-site at Fort Detrick.