Laboratory AssistantCharleston, SC, USA | Part-Time
The Laboratory Assistant serves as a vital technical bridge within the Coral Health and Disease Lab, providing the operational continuity necessary for high-precision research. Working under the direct supervision of full-time technical staff, the incumbent executes the foundational "bench-level" tasks that ensure the integrity of all experimental work. This role is a hybrid of meticulous glassware preparation and technical assay support, requiring scientific literacy and manual dexterity.
The primary mission of this position is to maintain a "zero-fail" environment for sensitive experiments that involve determining cellular physiological stressor thresholds, toxicological benchmarks, reproductive impacts. This includes the rigorous cleaning and preparation of experimental glassware to prevent chemical leaching or contamination that could compromise months of longitudinal data. Beyond hygiene, the Assistant acts as a secondary operator for sophisticated diagnostic tools, including microscopes and plate readers, transforming biological samples into structured data sets according to laboratory protocols.
By managing the critical details of water chemistry, inventory, and sample processing, the Assistant enables senior researchers to focus on data synthesis and experimental design. This role demands an individual who thrives in a structured laboratory setting, possesses an uncompromising eye for detail, and understands that the success of complex bioassays begins with the precision of routine preparation and maintains detailed documentation in a laboratory notebook.
Responsibilities:
- Experimental Support & Bioassays
- Assay Execution: Assist full-time staff in setting up and conducting biological assays, including precise pipetting and sample labeling & preparation.
- Instrumentation: Operate and perform routine care and cleaning on microscopes and plate readers to collect experimental data. Inform senior technical staff of any issues or variances with instruments.
- Imaging: Capture and archive high-resolution digital images of coral fragments and larvae for growth and health tracking, sea urchin embryos for developmental anomalies, and algal cell counts for population growth scoring.
- Sterilization & Laboratory Hygiene
- Glassware Management: Execute multi-step cleaning and sterilization protocols (e.g., acid washing, autoclaving) to support long-term, contaminant-sensitive coral or other reef organismal experiments.
- Workstation Upkeep: Maintain a clean and organized bench environment; ensure all common areas are free of hazardous waste and debris.
- Waste Management: Follow EPA Laboratory Standards for the safe disposal of bioassay reagents and chemical waste.
- Coral Husbandry & Life Support
- Daily Monitoring: Assist as needed in conducting water quality testing (salinity, pH, alkalinity, nutrients) and log results in the lab database.
- System Maintenance: Assist as needed in performing routine cleaning of tanks, pumps, and filters to ensure a stable environment for long-term experiments.
- Data Management & Logistics
- Documentation: Maintain meticulous records in a laboratory notebook or data sheets as appropriate to the task, ensuring all metadata for bioassays is recorded in real-time.
- Inventory Control: Monitor and restock essential laboratory consumables (tips, gloves, reagents) to prevent project delays.
- Technical Reporting: Consolidate raw data from instrumentation into organized spreadsheets for review by senior researchers.
- Compliance & Communication
- SOP Adherence: Strictly follow all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety protocols to ensure research reproducibility.
- Collaboration: Participate in weekly lab meetings to provide status updates on husbandry and assay progress.
Minimum Requirements:
The following minimum requirements ensure the student possesses the baseline technical competency required for high-stakes coral research.
- Mandatory Qualifications
These are the non-negotiable standards the contractor must meet before beginning work:
- Education: Must be currently enrolled in an accredited graduate program (M.Sc.) in Marine Biology, Biological Sciences, Ecology, or a related field.
- Safety Training: Completion of institutional Laboratory Safety, Hazardous Waste Handling, and Biosafety training within the first 10 days of the contract.
- Minimum Technical Performance Standards
The contractor must perform the following tasks at an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) to avoid contract deficiency.
Area Minimum Standard (AQL)
Laboratory Hygiene 98% Residue-Free: Glassware must show no visible streaks or chemical film after cleaning to prevent experimental contamination.
Bioassay Precision Standard Deviation Threshold: Plate reader results for technical replicates must fall within the lab's established CV (Coefficient of Variation) range (e.g., <10%).
Equipment Care Zero Negligence: Microscopes and plate readers must be powered down, covered, and lenses cleaned daily. Any instrument errors must be logged immediately.
- Deliverables Checklist
Provide the following items on schedule:
- Weekly Task Logs: A digital summary of all bioassays assisted, glassware batches processed, and reagent volumes remaining.
- Raw Data Packages: Validated data files from plate readers and labeled image sets from microscopy, uploaded to the lab's shared G-drive weekly.
- End-of-Month Status Report: A brief report (1-2 pages) summarizing project milestones supported and any technical hurdles encountered.
- Special Requirements
- Physical Stamina: Ability to stand for long periods (up to 4 hours) and lift equipment or seawater containers up to 30 lbs.
- Attention to Detail: Must demonstrate the ability to follow complex, multi-step Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with zero unauthorized deviations.
Products and Deliverables:
Technical Products: results of hands-on lab activity.
- EPA cleaned and/or Sterile Experimental Glassware: Inventory of project-specific glassware cleaned and sterilized according to established laboratory acid-wash and DI-rinse protocols.
- Assay Data Files: Raw data files (e.g., .csv, .xlsx) generated from plate reader runs (BCA, Antioxidant) and microscopy image sets, organized by experiment ID and date.
- Prepared Bioassay Plates: 96-well or multi-well plates accurately loaded with reagents and coral samples, ready for immediate reading by full-time staff.
- Coral Health Vouchers: Labeled, preserved tissue samples or slides from bioassays, archived for long-term molecular analysis.
Administrative & Compliance Deliverables
- Weekly Activity Report: A succinct summary of all tasks completed (e.g., number of tanks cleaned, number of plates run), including any instrument errors or coral health anomalies observed.
- Laboratory Notebook Records: Completed physical lab notebook entries for each assigned task, featuring 100% metadata compliance (date, temperature, reagents used).
- Maintenance & Calibration Logs: Updated logs as prescribed for water quality sensors verifying that routine cleaning and calibration checks were performed.
- Updated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Red-lined or updated versions of existing lab protocols reflecting any approved process improvements discovered during routine tasks as approved by Federal Task Lead.
At CSS, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and merit-based workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals, ensuring that hiring and employment decisions are based on qualifications, skills, and performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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