Scientist II - HIV

Title: Scientist II - HIV

Location: Silver Spring, MD

Status: Exempt

Position Summary:

Midnight Sun Technologies is looking to hire a Scientist II-HIV.

The Office of Tissue and Advanced Therapies, Division of Cellular and Gene Therapies (OTAT/DCGT) conducts studies on HIV pathogenesis to provide insights into mechanisms for differences in disease progression with different strains. To this end, the Office of Blood Research and Review (OBRR), Division of Emerging Transfusion Transmitted Diseases (DETTD), Laboratory of Molecular Virology (LMV) requires scientific support personnel in the form of a Scientist II. This work will require laboratory and investigative procedures, data analysis, and implementation of processes and protocols.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Quantitate viral load in FDA panels using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR);
• Isolate, propagate and maintain primary cells PBMCs and monocyte derived macrophages;
• Propagate and maintain A549, Jurkat, CEM, U937, HeLa, Ghost, ACH2 and U1 cell lines;
• Infect primary cells and cell lines with HIV-1, HIV-2 and HSV2 viruses;
• Extract, purify and manipulate nucleic acids;
• Transfect cells with lentiviral and adenoviral vector constructs for expressing host genes;
• Transfect cells with shRNA constructs;
• Analyze transfected cells for gene expression and knock down of genes;
• Run qPCR, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and PCR arrays for identifying expression of host genes, miRNA, tRNA and non-coding RNA;
• Identify a panel of biomarkers to distinguish acute vs. chronic phases of HIV-1 infection;
• Design and synthesis of primers to amplify and quantitate HIV-1 and HIV-2 RNA in digital droplet PCR;
• Evaluate the identified biomarkers using techniques like real-time PCR, ddPCR, next-generation sequencing, EMSA, Western blotting, ELISA, Luminex assays, FACS and fluorescence microscopy;
• Analyze data using Instat GraphPad, ImageJ, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, Cytoscape, SPSS.

Position Requirements

• 4+ training in the safe handling of human blood samples;
• 4+ research experiences in HIV-1 and HIV-2 research;
• Good practice of work in Biosafety Level 2 plus and Level 3 laboratories;
• Experience with analysis of gene expression data from microarray platforms for identification of HIV related biomarkers;
• Proficiency in basic virological techniques such as virus propagation, viral load testing using droplet digital PCR and HIV-1/HIV-2 isolation from cell culture and different body fluid compartments;
• Experience with cell culture techniques such as primary cell isolation, cell line propagation and maintenance, infection with different types of viruses, transfection of primary cells and cell lines;
• Broad knowledge of techniques that may be applied to study host factor and virus pathogenesis, such as tissue culture, flow cytometry, extraction and purification of nucleic acid, quantitative RT-PCR, lincRNA quantification and protein-based methods such as Western blotting and Luminex assays;
• Experience using Microsoft Office 2010, Instat GraphPad, ImageJ, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, Cytoscape, SPSS and EndNote software.

Apply online at our website: https://kikiktagruk.applicantpool.com/

Disclaimer: This is not to be an exclusive list of all responsibilities', duties, and skills required of the person in this job. KIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIC considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, family responsibility, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran's status or any other legal protected status. Pursuant to The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1601 et seq., and federal contractual requirements, Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation, may legally grant certain preference in employment opportunities to KIC Shareholders and their Descendants. EOE/AA/M/F/D/V. Please view Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here. Successful candidate must pass, comply and adhere to KIC's Drug and Alcohol policy/testing requirements and pass a thorough background check including fingerprinting.