Animal Biologist

About the Role

The Animal Biologist will provide support services to satisfy the overall operational objectives of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) within the National Institutes of Health.

Responsibilities

• Conduct behavioral testing and perform surgery on small animal models.
• Perform behavioral assays associated with the primary research project.
• Coordinate husbandry, animal care, and enrichment activities to maintain a clean, safe, and regulatory-compliant animal research program.
• Perform animal habituation for behavioral experiments; monitor acclimatization to behavioral cages by measuring food and water consumption.
• Manage and conduct behavioral training and testing of animals for users of the Section.
• Observe and record animal behavior to detect maladjustment or stereotypies.
• Conduct various animal behavioral tests, including T-maze, step down, conditioned place preference/aversion, drug self-administration, forced-swim test, hot-plate, tail-flick, von Frey, locomotion, elevated plus maze, open-field, novel object recognition, ultrasonic vocalization recording, and startle reflex.
• Maintain, breed, genotype, and phenotype transgenic animal colonies; maintain detailed records.
• Develop and maintain spreadsheets for animal breeding records, including lineage, genotype, birth, death, and experimental use.
• Independently perform genotyping of animals.
• Set up animals to be available in required numbers and at specific times.
• Provide technical expertise in breeding colony management.
• Develop and maintain a breeding database to track all animals in the colony.
• Determine the type and number of animals to order and establish the lab’s colony.
• Anticipate animal needs for research and colony maintenance; adjust breeding pairs accordingly.
• Determine the best breeding unit setups, including continuous pairs, harems, and timed pregnancies.
• Manage breeding colonies, genotype animals, and report results to staff.
• Communicate and collaborate with investigators regarding colony management and support duties.
• Maintain a database tracking the life and health cycles of the entire transgenic colony, including breeding, health, and housing.
• Inspect animals daily for viability and health status.
• Handle animals for hormone injection, mating, timed mating, and experimental procedures.
• Perform surgeries, including utero electroporation, intraspinal injections, and other procedures.
• Handle, dissect, and euthanize animals.
• Prepare animals for surgery and ensure proper disposal of carcasses.
• Harvest and collect animal embryos, tissues, and organs.
• Perform tissue fixation, embedding, sectioning, and staining techniques.
• Manage genotyping of transgenic animal samples.
• Analyze animal tissues; prepare frozen slices and paraffin sections.
• Perform molecular biology techniques, including PCR, gel electrophoresis, cloning, and in vitro transcription.
• Conduct immunohistochemistry, light and confocal microscopy, and tissue histochemistry.
• Coordinate mouse colonies and perform PCR-based genotyping.
• Anesthetize mice and perform physiologic measurements of hearing sensitivity and vestibular testing.
• Perform fine dissections of inner ear tissues.
• Conduct experiments with primary tissue explants and cells in culture.
• Perform specialized tissue techniques, including bone decalcification, frozen tissue sectioning, and serial sectioning.
• Execute adenoviral, adeno-associated viral, retroviral, and lentiviral infection experiments.
• Perform apoptosis assays, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and molecular cloning techniques.
• Search, review, and summarize literature related to projects.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data; maintain laboratory notebooks and databases.
• Prepare and maintain stock solutions; operate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment.
• Coordinate laboratory safety protocols.
• Document procedures, modifications, and methods for publications and presentations.

Qualifications

• Experience with small animal models, including behavioral testing and surgery.
• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques, tissue culture, and immunohistochemistry.
• Skill in data analysis, laboratory record-keeping, and database management.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with staff and investigators.
• Knowledge of laboratory safety protocols and regulatory compliance.

Skills

• Animal handling and surgical techniques.
• Behavioral assay performance and analysis.
• Transgenic colony management and genotyping.
• Tissue processing and histological techniques.
• Molecular biology and cloning methods.
• Data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Laboratory equipment operation and troubleshooting.