Research Technician

About the department

The Dickinson research group is driven by the idea that chemistry is the key to unlocking biology. We design and evolve functional molecules from the ground up, creating tools to probe, control, and engineer biological systems, opening new frontiers in both basic science and biotechnology.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine and advanced molecular biology experiments, including molecular cloning and large-scale genetically encoded library construction and maintenance.
• Execute high-throughput screening experiments.
• Perform biochemical assays for molecular interaction characterization.
• Conduct cell-based assays for intracellular validation of screening hits.
• Prepare buffers, reagents, and experimental materials; maintain accurate records of reagent preparation and sample processing.
• Maintain complete and accurate laboratory notebooks (paper or electronic), ensuring data integrity and traceability.
• Contribute to data organization, preliminary analysis, figure preparation, and summary reports for internal lab use.
• Collaborate with graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other lab members to support shared research.
• Collects and enters data. Assists in analyzing data. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.
• Assists with the installation, sets up and performs experiments; interacting with students and other laboratory staff under the direction of the principal investigator.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Education and Experience

• Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical biology, chemistry, or a related field.
• Hands-on laboratory experience (academic or industry).
• Experience with maintaining accurate experimental records and following lab protocols with consistency.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in a research environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, especially for multi-step protocols and sample tracking.
• Prior experience working with display technologies (e.g., phage display, mRNA display, or related platforms).
• Experience with biomolecular interaction characterization (e.g., SPR, BLI, or FP).
• Experience with mammalian tissue or cell culture.
• Familiarity with protein design, structure prediction tools, and molecular visualization software (e.g., PyMOL, ChimeraX).