Research Technician/Assistant

Typically, 8:00AM - 5:00PM with 1 hour break for lunch 5 days per week, but schedule can be flexible

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

The Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching.

We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 2,800 majors and we enroll over 5,000 undergraduate students in our classes each year. Our average total annual expenditures exceed $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. Our large research base spans many areas of biology and supports several outstanding graduate programs. We consist of 50 tenure-track faculty, 10 teaching faculty, 8 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty who are engaged in basic and interdisciplinary research and teaching, both within the department and between other departments and schools at UNC.

The Bloom laboratory takes an integrative approach to understand the structural basis of chromosome segregation. Together with physicists and applied mathematicians we build mathematical models that recapitulate chromosome and microtubule dynamics. Using live cell imaging to quantitate chromosome motion together with course-grained models of the thermodynamics of long-chain polymers we embarked on a project to define, for the first time, the organization and function of over 1 million base pairs of DNA in the centromere. The centromere is the chromosomal site where the kinetochore is assembled, and where centromere DNA is physically coupled to microtubules. We found that the centromere is organized into loops that exert tension via a bottle-brush configuration that has literally changed the paradigm from a passive centromere DNA binding site to an active participant in partitioning chromosomes. The research represents the forefront in our challenge to deduce structures of large macromolecular complexes in living cells in real-time.

The Bloom lab is in search of a Research Technician/Assistant to work on NIH grant-supported research that studies the mechanisms of mitosis in budding yeast. The incumbent will work to maintain a smoothly running laboratory compliant with the UNC-CH safety standards so the P.I., post-doctoral fellows, and students have the supplies and equipment necessary to be productive in their research. They will maintain yeast cells, stocks for long-term storage, and growing cells, teach the following basic laboratory procedures to the undergraduate assistants: glasswashing, making basic solutions, dishwashing, filling pipet boxes etc., and communicate the lab's expectations to help the undergraduate assistants accomplish those routine jobs.
The period of employment is for 5 months from approximately April 1 until August 31, 2025.

Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.

Must be well organized and demonstrate individual initiative to maintain a smoothly running laboratory compliant with the UNC-CH safety standards so the P.I., post-doctoral fellows, and students have the supplies and equipment at hand to be productive in their research. Must be meticulous and reliable in maintaining yeast cells, stocks for long-term storage, and growing cells. Must be able to teach basic laboratory procedures (glasswashing, making basic solutions, dishwashing, filling pipet boxes etc.) and to communicate lab expectations to undergraduate assistants.
The following competencies are also required: understand biological processes associated with mitosis and associated chromatin biochemistry, be capable of basic chemistry skills (including pipetting, calculating dilutions, calculating how to make up buffers from stock powders, sterile culture technique); be capable of mastering the methods for culture and storage of cells and methods for preparing live cell for light microscopy; be capable of competently performing high resolution light microscopy, digital image acquisition, and processing to obtaining high quality images of proteins within yeast cells during mitosis; be able to assist in the construction of transgenic yeast for kinetochore and chromatin proteins; and have the quantitative math, physics and computer skills for accurate analysis of image data using computer programs like MetaMorph, Matlab and other software to prepare data for presentation and publication (Excel, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Power Point).

Microscopy and cell work requires both standing as well as sitting to use the instruments properly. Duties to be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.