Job Summary
The
Department of Pathology is seeking a Research Assistant to
support laboratory and bioinformatics workflows in a retrospective study
investigating the prevalence, genomic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of
animal -adapted Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (aMTBC) strains. The role
contributes to understanding zoonotic transmission and multidrug resistance
within a One Health framework.
Responsibilities
- Retrieve and culture archived TB isolates.
- Perform PCR screening for RD9 gene extract
- Coordinate procurement and management of study supplies and maintain
inventory; to ensure availability of materials.
- Conduct flow-cell QC, sequencing runs, variant calling, phylogenetic
analysis
- Maintain lab records and isolate metadata.
- Assist in preparation of figures, tables, and manuscript outputs.
- Participate in stakeholder liaison meetings.
- Support manuscript development and contribute to dissemination
activities
- Ensuring the confidentiality and security of the collected data.
Requirements
- Master of Science in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genomics,
Bioinformatics, or any other relevant qualification.
- A minimum of two years’ experience working with clinical teams is an
added advantage.
- Measurable hands on wet lab experience working with Mycobacterium
tuberculosis (MTB), including TB culturing, sample processing, biosafety
level workflows, and handling of clinical isolates.
- Proven proficiency in molecular diagnostics techniques such as DNA
extraction, PCR, qPCR, gel electrophoresis, and preparation of libraries
for Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing.
- Experience performing quality control of DNA/RNA samples,
optimization of extraction protocols, and troubleshooting of lab assays in
high containment environments.
- Familiar with foundational bioinformatics approaches, including
FASTQ data handling, basic command line workflows, sequence quality
assessment, and introductory analysis pipelines for pathogen genomics.
- Ability to integrate wet lab and genomics workflows by coordinating
sample preparation with downstream sequencing and preliminary data
interpretation.
- Strong documentation and adherence to biosafety protocols when
working with high risk pathogens.
How to Apply
