Islet Isolation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Information

The Sidarala Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated Research Assistant to join a dynamic research program focused on understanding how mitochondrial dynamics regulates pancreatic -cell function, aging, and diabetes. The successful candidate will contribute to projects investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes using cutting-edge molecular biology and imaging approaches.
This position is ideal for individuals interested in gaining extensive research experience before pursuing graduate, medical, or professional school, or for candidates seeking a career in biomedical research. Outstanding candidates will have opportunities to co-author peer-reviewed publications and present research at regional and national scientific meetings.
Primary Responsibilities
The Research Assistant will:
Manage and maintain mouse colonies, including colony organization, record keeping, and health monitoring
Establish breeding schemes and genotyping workflows to generate experimental mouse cohorts
Assist with and perform in vivo studies, including animal handling, injections, metabolic phenotyping, glucose and insulin tolerance tests, blood and tissue collection, and other physiological assessments (training provided as needed)
Perform pancreatic islet isolations from mice (training provided as needed)
Perform molecular biology techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, cloning, and genotyping
Conduct biochemical assays including Western blotting, ELISA, insulin secretion assays, and enzyme activity measurements
Prepare laboratory reagents and solutions, maintain laboratory equipment, manage inventory, and ensure compliance with laboratory safety procedures
Organize, analyze, and maintain accurate records of experimental data using electronic laboratory notebooks
Participate in laboratory meetings and contribute to manuscript preparation and grant applications as appropriate
Research Areas
Projects in the laboratory focus on:
Pancreatic islet biology and -cell physiology
Mitochondrial dynamics, cellular metabolism and bioenergetics
Aging and age-associated metabolic diseases
Translational studies using mouse and human -cell models
Training Opportunities
The Research Assistant will receive training in modern techniques including:
Pancreatic islet isolation and functional assays
Live-cell and super-resolution confocal imaging
Metabolic phenotyping
Molecular and cellular biology
Experimental design and statistical analysis
Scientific writing and presentation skills
Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a closely related field
Strong organizational and communication skills
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Excellent attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accurate research records; Willingness to learn new laboratory techniques

Preferred Qualifications
Experience with one or more of the following is desirable but not required:
Experience working with laboratory mice, including animal handling and husbandry
Experience managing transgenic or knockout mouse colonies, including breeding strategies and colony record keeping
Familiarity with mouse genotyping techniques, including DNA extraction and PCR
Experience with in vivo procedures such as injections, blood collection, metabolic phenotyping, or tissue harvesting
Experience with pancreatic islet isolation or other tissue dissection techniques
Experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular biology techniques, including PCR, qPCR, Western blotting, or cloning
Familiarity with immunofluorescence microscopy or confocal microscopy

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a closely related field

Strong organizational and communication skills
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Excellent attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accurate research records; Willingness to learn new laboratory techniques

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with one or more of the following is desirable but not required:
Experience working with laboratory mice, including animal handling and husbandry
Experience managing transgenic or knockout mouse colonies, including breeding strategies and colony record keeping
Familiarity with mouse genotyping techniques, including DNA extraction and PCR
Experience with in vivo procedures such as injections, blood collection, metabolic phenotyping, or tissue harvesting
Experience with pancreatic islet isolation or other tissue dissection techniques
Experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular biology techniques, including PCR, qPCR, Western blotting, or cloning
Familiarity with immunofluorescence microscopy or confocal microscopy

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