Study Support Technician II – Technical (Aquatics)

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 49,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Collaborative environment

Continuous learning

Interlab collaboration with Vivarium &

Job summary

HHMI Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, VA seeks an Aquatics Specialist to perform technical procedures to maintain zebrafish and Danionella colonies, including embryo care, crosses, and transgenic line establishment.

Work under minimal supervision, coordinate breeding, manage records, and communicate progress to researchers while supporting a collaborative whole-brain vertebrate neuroscience program.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in life sciences or related field.
• Two years' experience in aquatic husbandry or lab animal care.
• Experience with transgenic colony management is a plus.
• Proficiency with basic microscopy and embryo injection.
• Comfort with reproductive techniques such as IVF or microinjection.

Responsibilities

• Maintain zebrafish and danionella colonies and related records.
• Perform embryo care, crosses setup, and line stabilization.
• Conduct embryo and phenotype screening and sperm collection for PCR.
• Coordinate crosses and communicate progress to researchers.

Skills

Aquatic husbandry

Laboratory animal care

Transgenic colony management

Microscope proficiency

Embryo microinjection

IVF techniques

Cross setup/breakdown

Data entry in animal records

Microsoft Office

Team collaboration

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in life sciences

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Embryo microinjection equipment

IVF equipment

Animal recordkeeping databases

Job description

Primary Work Address: 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus is apioneering research center in Ashburn, Virginia, where scientistspursue fundamental questions in the life sciences. Our integratedteams of biologists, computational scientists, and tool-buildersinnovate research practices and technologies to solve biology’sdeepest mysteries. HHMI launched Janelia in 2006, establishing anintellectually enriching environment for scientists to do creative,collaborative, hands-on work. We share our methods, results, andtools with the scientific community.

About Janelia

Janelia Research Campus is an HHMI research institute built totackle scientific problems beyond what any single lab or companycould sustain. Janelia's next decade centers on two big bets:mapping how a vertebrate brain produces complex behavior, andbuilding “AI-in-the-Loop Discovery,” where scientists and AI worktogether to analyze data, design experiments, and drive discoveryat a new scale.

About the Role

This position provides specialized technical services withinJanelia's Aquatics program of the Vivarium. These services focus oncreating and maintaining genetically modified zebrafish andDanionella colonies in support of Janelia’s research program.Working under minimal supervision, provides expertise with hands-ontechnical procedures to enable and streamline research.

What We Provide

• An opportunity to broaden research experience in a collaborative environment supporting Janelia's whole-brainvertebrate neuroscience program.
• A team that believes in continuous learning and cultivates anenvironment of collaboration.
• Collaboration with research labs and other shared resources,including Molecular Genomics, Viral Tools, Quantitative Genomics,and other Vivarium teams.

What You'll Do

• Perform technical procedures to maintain the zebrafish anddanionella colonies, including embryo care, setting up and breakingdown crosses, and breeding coordination through establishment of astable transgenic line.
• Perform reproductive techniques, including embryomicroinjections, IVF, recovery of cryopreserved sperm, and femaleova expression.
• Conduct whole animal screening, including fluorescent and/orphenotype screening, dye screening, embryo screening, fin clipping(larval, juvenile, and adult), and sperm collection for PCR.
• Track each stage of the microinjection process and provideclear handoffs to Aquatics staff and researchers as embryosprogress through early development.
• Maintain transgenic colony records on related data systems,including crossing events, genotyping results, screeningobservations, injection outcomes, AI-supported screening data, andlive-feed culture records that support colony nutrition.
• Communicate with researchers on breeding colony status,microinjection progress, and other updates as needed.

What You Bring

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in life sciences or a relatedfield, or an equivalent combination of education andexperience.
• Two years of experience with Aquatic husbandry or laboratoryanimal care, preferably in a research setting; experience withtransgenic colony management is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to perform moderate technical procedures,such as proficient microscope use, embryo injection, fin clipping,embryo screening, and cross setup/breakdown.
• Experience with reproductive techniques such as microinjection,IVF, or related molecular biology methods is a plus.
• Comfort using database systems for animal recordkeeping.
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated individual, with the ability towork independently with minimal supervision and learn tasksquickly.
• Excellent skills in Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative, rapidlychanging team environment to accomplish mutual goals.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to dealeffectively with research scientists, laboratory technical staff,administrative staff, management, outside contractors, andvendors.

Physical Requirements

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extendedperiods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) orarm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for exampleusing a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word;ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to moveabout workspace. The position requires mobility, including theability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as alaptop computer or tablet).

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essentialduties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests forreasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individualbasis.

Please Note

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties,responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed as an exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word“may,” the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described aboveare “essential functions” of the job, as defined by the Americanswith Disabilities Act.

Compensation and Benefits

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective inmany ways for their contributions to our mission, includingcompetitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans,time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visitour HHMI Benefits atHHMI site to learn more.

Hiring Pay Range

$49,344.34 - $61,680.42

Pay Type: Annual

HHMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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