CABI is looking for a Microbial and Molecular Technician.

Purpose of the role:

The key function of this role is to provide support to the Microbiological and Molecular Services group. The successful applicant will join a team of specialists and support staff involved in the identification, testing, characterisation and preservation of microorganisms. The role will require a range of aseptic microbial and molecular techniques including isolation and subculturing of microorganisms, DNA isolation, and PCR based methods. Previous experience and proven capability in microbial and molecular techniques is essential. Experience of working with filamentous fungi will be an advantage, as an element of the role will be to support the operation of CABI Bioscience.

Key accountabilities:

• Isolation and purification of microorganisms, predominantly bacteria, fungi, and yeasts;
• Preparation of cultures in a format suitable for delivery into CABI’s genomic technology platforms/workflow;
• Undertake a range of molecular techniques including DNA isolation, and PCR based methods;
• Maintenance of necessary supplies for operation of activities;
• Provision of technical support for projects and training courses;
• Work in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 standard specifications;
• Other technical activities to be undertaken for delivery into CABI’s work-flow or projects, as required by the Delivery Team.

CANDIDATE PROFILE
Knowledge & Skills

• Skilled in microbiology procedures including aseptic techniques, subculturing, and use of microscopes (required);
• Experience of working with filamentous fungi, including slide preparation and identification (required)
• Good oral and written communication skills (required);
• Knowledge of and skills in using a wide range of molecular techniques (desirable);
• Experience of working within a ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory (desirable);
• PCR, qPCR, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Library Preparation methods (desirable);
• Bioinformatics methods for taxonomical investigations, and NGS datasets (desirable);

Education & Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree or equivalent in Biological Sciences (required);
• Competence in the MS Office suite of software (required);
• Experience with practical research projects (desirable).

Personal Characteristics

• Ability to work as part of a team (required);
• Self-motivated and able to work with little supervision (required);
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage large workloads effectively (required);
• Flexibility & adaptability (required).