Research Lab Technician in Human Health and Microbiome

California Institute of Technology; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

California Institute of Technology is seeking a full-time Research Lab Technician for a 2-year term in the Ismagilov Lab focusing on human health and microbiome research. Responsibilities include supporting lab projects, performing high-quality experiments, and maintaining lab standards. Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s degree in a science-related field and have hands-on lab experience.

The position offers mentorship and training in various lab protocols. Caltech is an equal opportunity employer, encouraging diverse applicants.

Qualifications

• Strong drive to learn and contribute positively to the lab's mission.
• Hands-on lab experience in microbiology or related fields.
• Ability to perform complex experiments with high precision.

Responsibilities

• Support lab projects by performing high-quality experiments.
• Conduct automated DNA/RNA extractions from various samples.
• Analyze raw data and generate scientific figures.
• Maintain lab safety and organization standards.

Skills

Organizational skills

Time-management skills

Project-management skills

Communication skills

Detail-oriented

Education

Bachelor's degree in a science-related field

Tools

qPCR

ddPCR

RT-qPCR

RT-ddPCR

Illumina sequencing

Nanopore sequencing

Python

MATLAB

R

Job description

Research Lab Technician in Human Health and Microbiome

Caltech is a world‑renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

The Ismagilov Lab at Caltech is hiring a full‑time Research Lab Technician for a 2‑year term position. Reporting to Professor Rustem Ismagilov, the successful candidate will contribute to the lab's ambitious projects and collaborations focused on human health. Examples include discovering within human tissues the bacteria, fungi, and viruses (and corresponding genes and pathways) responsible for health and disease; developing novel diagnostic approaches; investigating the microbial origins of human diseases; developing tools that improve biological AI models by orders of magnitude; and developing closed‑loop systems that combine robotics and AI for rapid autonomous experimentation. Additional details about the lab can be found at http://ismagilovlab.caltech.edu/. The selected candidate will receive mentorship and structured training in lab‑specific protocols, electronic lab notebooks, biosafety, sample‑tracking, qPCR/ddPCR, sequencing‑library quality control, liquid‑handler automation, and data analysis.

Essential Job Duties

• Support graduate students, postdocs, and research staff in their projects. The Technician will be a valued member of project teams and, after training, will take ownership of specific workflows/processes.
• Perform exceptionally high‑quality experiments using established protocols; with training, contribute to experimental design and troubleshooting.
• Perform automated DNA and RNA extractions from many different sample types, including clinical samples (e.g., saliva, swabs, urine, blood, biopsies).
• Perform nucleic‑acid amplification analyses using standard techniques such as qPCR, ddPCR, RT‑qPCR, and RT‑ddPCR.
• Assist with Illumina and Nanopore sequencing library preparations for 16S rRNA gene, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and RNA sequencing.
• Perform crucial sequencing‑library quality‑control steps.
• Perform basic microbiology techniques such as bacterial culture, making media, and handling glycerol stocks with aseptic techniques.
• Analyze raw data and generate figures.
• Assist with scripting and validating protocols for automated liquid handlers.
• Maintain the lab's excellent standards for biosafety and chemical safety.
• Follow lab procedures for maintaining an accurate, complete, and detailed electronic lab notebook.
• Maintain the organization of lab workspaces and maintain stocks of lab supplies.
• A highly motivated and qualified candidate may additionally develop independent aspects of ongoing projects, while continuing to provide research support to the lab.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science with an educational emphasis in chemistry, biology, microbiology, or a related field by the start date.
• Strong drive to learn and make a positive impact on the lab and the lab's mission.
• Strong organizational, time‑management, and project‑management skills.
• Hands‑on lab experience (beyond academic coursework) in microbiology, molecular biology, and/or biochemistry, such as undergraduate research, internships, or equivalent experience.
• Highly detail‑oriented; must have prior experience performing complex experiments, using standard laboratory techniques, and generating rigorous, reproducible data that others can rely on.
• Demonstrated ability to learn to perform highly technical workflows in a laboratory setting.
• Must be able to use sound judgment to handle a variety of tasks simultaneously and to shift priorities, as well as effectively solve problems.
• Must be able to work independently as well as part of a collaborative team in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment in which multiple active projects are running in parallel.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact professionally and productively with faculty, staff, students, and collaborators.
• Ambition to learn how to do research at an increasingly higher level, including how to design high‑quality experiments, interpret results, and answer scientific questions.
• Deep curiosity, reliability, and desire for mentorship/training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ambition to undertake rigorous research training before entering medical or graduate school or a similar high‑performance, high‑impact environment in industry or academia.
• Prior experience working at BSL‑2.
• Prior experience performing qPCR and nucleic‑acid extractions.
• Prior experience tracking and/or handling large numbers of samples in parallel.
• Prior experience handling and processing 96‑sample assays, such as 96‑well PCR plates or 96‑well screening assays.
• Interest in liquid‑handler automation of wet‑lab workflows and closed‑loop automation systems.
• Co‑authorship on a scientific publication or other substantial contribution to a research project.
• Prior experience or undergraduate‑level coursework with a basic programming language for data analysis (Python, MATLAB, R).

Required Documents

• Resume (describe relevant experiences and accomplishments).
• Cover letter with a) an explicit explanation of your alignment with the lab's mission; b) a concise example of how you have ensured accuracy, reproducibility, and careful documentation in your prior research; c) an explanation of the level of technical mastery of your top three experimental skills most relevant to this position.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.