Job Description

MIT’s Sculpting Evolution group,  led by Professor Kevin Esvelt,  launched the Nucleic Acid Observatory (NAO) project to pioneer reliable,  pathogen-agnostic early warning of future pandemics through untargeted metagenomic sequencing.  We are seeking a Research Specialist to assist in organizing and carrying out a range of experiments for the NAO,  with the goal of improving and validating our metagenomic protocols and implementing an active biosurveillance system.

While other biosurveillance programs are focused on known pathogens like SARS-CoV-2,  the NAO is focused on detecting new and unknown pathogens as quickly and sensitively as possible.  That means taking a new approach to biosurveillance, with a strong emphasis on deep short- and long-read metagenomic sequencing of wastewater and other sample types.

This individual will be responsible for preparing metagenomic libraries of biosurveillance samples (from wastewater,  swabs,  and other sources) for use with existing sequencing technologies; iterating on protocols to improve viral recovery from these samples;  and routinely processing incoming samples as part of our ongoing monitoring efforts.  In addition to molecular biology and sequencing skills,  this job also calls for careful record keeping,  data collection, and strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

Biosurveillance sample preparation and processing (40%):

• Collect self-swab respiratory samples from human subjects, including interacting with subjects in public places, receiving samples, and safely transporting them back to the lab for processing;
• Carry out established procedures for processing incoming wastewater and other sample types, including concentration and nucleic acid extraction;
• Perform experiments to evaluate proposed improvements to sample preparation and processing protocols;
• Coordinate with sample providers and couriers for timely sample processing;
• Follow good biosafety and biosecurity practices: dispose of old samples according to EHS guidelines,  maintain a clean & safe working environment, etc.

Metagenomic sequencing library preparation and development (40%):

• Prepare short- and long-read sequencing libraries (e.g. Illumina, Nanopore) from incoming samples for routine biosurveillance, as well as for protocol evaluation & improvement,  with minimal supervision;
• Perform experiments to evaluate proposed improvements to library preparation and sequencing protocols;
• Creatively customize & optimize library prep to handle low-input and difficult samples.

Other responsibilities (20%):

• Participate in NAO and Sculpting Evolution group meetings;
• Communicate and coordinate with relevant external bodies at MIT (e.g. IRB, EHS) to secure project approval and ensure smooth execution of the NAO’s research goals.
• Ensure key parts of lab infrastructure are in place to support the NAO’s work (e.g. maintaining and updating inventory, developing and updating safety protocols);
• Other duties as needed or required.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as Biology, Biological Engineering, or Analytical Chemistry;
• At least 4 years of experience with standard biological assays and molecular biology techniques;
• Extensive experience with library preparation for high-throughput sequencing (2 years of experience preferred);
• Practical experience in one or more fields supporting our primary research interests, including but not limited to:

o   Metagenomics;

o   Virology;

o   Microbiology;

o   Environmental DNA;

o   Wastewater-based epidemiology;

o   Long-read sequencing.

• Comfortable and willing to carry out BSL2+ laboratory work involving wastewater, respiratory swabs, and other samples that may contain viruses and other pathogens (previous experience working with these sample types is preferred but not required);
• Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail;
• Excellent written and oral communication abilities.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (see above);
• Experience in two or more fields supporting our primary research interests (see above);
• Prior experience working with human wastewater and/or respiratory swab samples, or otherwise working in BSL2+ conditions;
• Prior experience collecting samples from human subjects;
• Proficiency with bioinformatics, statistics and data visualization, and/or lab automation.

This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of extension based on funding and course of research.

To apply, please visit  MIT's careers at  https://hr.mit.edu/careers  and search for job ID number #24042.