ORAU has a contingent job opportunity for a Biologist in support of the overall functions of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID), Viral Epidemiology and Immunity Unit (VEIU), National Institute of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, MD. The positions are contingent on award of an upcoming contract with NIAID Professional, Scientific and Technical Support Services. Salary for positions will be determined based on education and experience. Relocation support is not available for this position.

ORAU has been providing scientific and technical talent staffing solutions and designing, managing, and evaluating jobs and internships for more than 70 years. ORAU assists in connecting the best and most diverse group of students, recent graduates, faculty and professionals with world-class fellowships, internships and job opportunities, whether in national laboratories, research institutions, federal government offices or private sector R&D departments.

Technical Requirements:

• Assist with establishing existing immunological and virological protocols in the laboratory, developing new immunoassays for measuring protective anti-viral immunity, and managing new clinical and observational studies.
• Receive, organize, and distribute specimens, documenting shipments using specified electronic systems.
• Provide support in basic laboratory set up (purchasing laboratory supplies and equipment), monitoring inventory lab supplies (liquid nitrogen, dry ice, and ordering supplies as needed), and maintaining and troubleshooting laboratory equipment.
• Provide and maintain communication with investigators, staff, and trainees and external contacts with sponsors, vendors, and monitors as well as other members of the scientific community.
• Contribute to manuscript writing, and preparation and delivery of posters and oral presentations of scientific work.
• Provide professional expertise in developing and revising Laboratory Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols for serological assays and virological methods.
• Perform and analyze immunological assays according to Laboratory Standard Operating Procedures, including but not limited to plaque/immunofocus reduction neutralizing antibody assays, immunostain, ELISPOT, flow cytometry, HAI and other inhibition assays, ELISAs, and other biomarker detection assays.
• Perform virology methods including but not limited to primer design, DNA and RNA extraction and purification, PCR, RT-qPCR, molecular cloning, RNA interference, western blots, gel electrophoresis, transfections, bacterial transformations, and microscopy.
• Conduct blood processing and prepare serum, plasma, and PBMCs for testing.
• Apply Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) principles to characterize test articles, analyze specimens, and maintain detailed records of assays and data.
• Maintain cell cultures (e.g., Vero, LLC, C6/36, K562 cells), and perform virus amplification, harvest, and titration.
• Assist with coordinate observational and/or clinical studies, including: managing enrollment, consent forms and protocol amendments; contacting patients/scheduling appointments; collecting data from patient examinations and preparing medical records for study objectives; providing patient education and administering treatment; and documenting other essential paperwork for clinical studies and in accordance with clinical best practices.

• Bachelors and/or Master's degree in biology or a related field.
• Minimum of six years of laboratory experience performing the serological and molecular techniques detailed above, as well as experience working with viruses and tissue culture. Minimum of one-year experience working on human observational or clinical studies.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), statistical programs (including R), and databases, accurate data entry, and report generation.
• Concise, clear and professional verbal and written communication.
• Demonstrated skills in organization, problem solving, resourcefulness and flexibility.
• Demonstrated ability in conducting high-quality experiments, including dexterity in pipetting.
• Satisfactory US government background check and security clearance.
• Proficiency in Spanish and willingness to work with Spanish-speaking scientific collaborators on cohort studies.
• Experience with or interest in acquiring training for work in BSL3 laboratories and in performing animal research studies.

• Degree: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (1 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )