Research Technician in cryogenic electron microscopy - Part-Time

Job Description :

A part-time Research Technician position is available in Professor Tina Izard’s cell adhesion laboratory.

The laboratory collaborates with several other laboratories on campus including exciting collaborative and currently active projects with Professors Kirill Martenmyanov (, Kendall Nettles (, Susana Valente (, and Luiz Carvalho (

Thus, there are several exciting opportunities for a variety of very interesting projects beyond structure-function studies of cytoskeletal proteins that control signaling downstream of adherens junctions and focal adhesions with implications in cancer and heart diseases and more recently

structure-function studies of novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis targets in collaboration with Professor Luiz Carvalho (

The laboratory is recognized as a world leader and provides outstanding training in protein biochemistry and structural, molecular, and cellular biology, in a highly dynamic and team-oriented research program.

Successful candidates will work in a cutting-edge research environment with new state-of-the-art facilities. The laboratory has outstanding facilities for cell biology, molecular biology, protein expression, purification, biochemistry, and cryogenic electron microscopy, and protein crystallography.

The laboratory has access to many outstanding Cores that facilitate basic research and drug development. The unique infrastructure includes the application of unique chemical, genomic, proteomic, informatics, and high-throughput screening and engineering tools for the discovery of novel biomolecules.

Professor Tina Izard is a board member of the South East Regional Collaborative Access Team (SER-CAT) that constructed two beam lines at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory.

The insertion device and bending magnet beam lines are available for all the synchrotron-related data collection needs for the post-doctoral associates.

Professor Tina Izard recently installed the first kV cryo Atomic Resolution Microscope (cryoARM) in the Americas ( and has plenty of microscope time dedicated to the post-doctoral associate.

This state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope is a kV high-resolution microscope capable of carrying out cryogenic-electron microscopy studies by providing atomic resolution for structural studies involving single particle analyses.

The transmission electron microscope is equipped with a new and improved Gatan K3 direct electron detector camera with better DQE, larger field of view ( Megapixels 5, x 4,) and faster (3.

times that of K2 camera). The direct detection devices are exquisitely sensitive, produce high signal-to-noise images, and are ideal for high-resolution studies.

Professor Izard designed and installed a HighFlux X-ray diffraction system, specifically a Rigaku MicroMax- HF, a second-generation microfocus rotating anode generator together with a mar Image Plate detector.

An Osmic VariMax optics system and the Proteros Free Mounting System can be used to control the humidity and to optimize diffraction characteristics, including resolution, mosaicity, and anisotropy, as well as reduced X-ray background.

Expected Salary :

Commensurate with experience.

Minimum Requirements :

A bachelors degree in an appropriate area of specialization or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications :

Applicants with experience in either protein biochemistry or cryogenic electron microscopy are preferred.