You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.

Research Technician II, Computational Analyses of Microbial Data Sets

Overview

Cures Start Here. At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Careers Start Here.

The Bullman and Johnston Laboratories are an interdisciplinary and highly collaborative team of clinical and synthetic microbiologists, biochemists and cancer researchers. The core mission of these labs relates to improving the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers and ultimately extend the lives of patients, with a focus on bacterial pathogens and the microbiome’s role in cancer.

Using cutting edge technologies and methodologies, we endeavor to move smoothly between human and microbial data sets, and in vivo and in vitro model systems, to gain a deeper functional understanding of the tumor microbiota in cancer and the impact of host-associated bacteria in human disease.


Responsibilities

The laboratory of Dr. Susan Bullman and the laboratory Dr. Christopher Johnston are establishing a research program that utilizes state-of-the-art DNA sequencing technologies to study microbial epigenetics and the microbiome of human cancers and other diseases. These labs seek to jointly recruit a highly motivated research technician II with expertise in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies (library preparation) and computational analyses of multi-omics data (running bioinformatic tools on raw NGS data).
 
This individual will work with the PI’s and post-doctoral fellows using state-of-the-art sequencing technologies, such as 10X Chromium for single cell transcriptome sequencing and PacBio SMRTseq for methylome analyses. This position will provide ample opportunities for professional development and the acquisition of cutting-edge skills in NGS and resulting data processing and analyses. Responsibilities will include: computational analyses of single cell transcriptome data, bulk eukaryotic and prokaryotic RNAseq data, metagenomic analyses, long-read microbial Pac-Bio SMRTseq, development and analyses of computational approaches for assessing microbial epigenetics along with running in-house workflows on NGS data. Specific duties may include:
  • Preparation of DNA/cDNA libraries for NGS technologies
  • Computational analyses of raw NGS data
  • Diligent record-keeping and reporting
  • Presenting findings at internal (Bullman and Johnston lab) meetings
  • Other res­­­­­earch or organizational duties, as appropriate.


Qualifications

Please include a cover letter with your application, detailing your interest and suitability for this position.
 
Minimum qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree in math, physics or engineering or equivalent experience
  • A working knowledge and previous experience in next generation sequencing technologies (NGS)
  • Experience in command-line execution of bioinformatic tools for analysis of DNA/RNA sequencing data
  • Experience in scientific programming for analysis and visualization of high dimensional data is considered highly desirable (R, Python, Matlab, Java, C/C++, Perl or other languages)
  • Experience working in a cloud computing environment is favored
  • An academic background in math/physics/computer science
  • Ability to meet deadlines and multitask efficiently
 
Preferred qualifications:
  • >2 years’ computation experience in research/life sciences setting, or a master’s degree with a computational major
  • Highly-motivated individual interested in a career in translational research, with a keen interest in sequencing-based technologies and data analyses
  • Technically meticulous when conducting analyses
  • Highly organized in record-keeping
  • Independent, intellectually passionate and able to display scientific initiative
  • Excellent teamwork, time management and organizational skills
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a dynamic and results-oriented environment
 

Our Commitment to Diversity

We are committed to cultivating a workplace in which diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity and VEVRAA Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We are an Affirmative Action employer. We encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds to apply and desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to our Employee Services Center at escmail@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.