Lab Technician, REDI-NET - Notre Dame, United States - University of Notre Dame

Description

Epidemics of emerging and exotic nature are becoming more frequent and diverse worldwide and these outbreaks will inevitably continue into the foreseeable future.

Surveillance efforts are often narrow in scope and a lack of taxonomic expertise at source is problematic with results being seriously delayed while samples are sent to overloaded reach-back laboratories for specimen identification (ID).

Data release can take many months longer, and shipping whilst critically maintaining cold-chain for virus recovery is complex and expensive.

To overcome these obstacles and effectively DETECT, PREDICT and CONTAIN potentially emergent zoonosis of military relevance, the Remote Emerging Disease Intelligence NETwork (REDI-NET) Phase III focuses on establishing new regional satellite laboratories (Bronze) to expand upon Phase I and Phase II outputs and integrate new remote data acquisition technologies to assess emerging disease threats.

The REDI-NET focuses on enhanced surveillance approaches to characterize natural pathogens in temperate (USA), tropical forest (Belize), and tropical grassland (Kenya) sites.

REDI-NET Phase I and II has developed an overarching database architecture and platform that supports scalable approaches for building the necessary tools and services to facilitate the multi-user needs of emerging infectious disease surveillance data.

Additionally, Phase II enhanced the flexible, scalable and expandable computing substrate- 'a system of systems'-upon which a myriad range of global health computing platforms can be developed and customized to support specific modeling, prediction and policy-decisions in support of local nation partners and U.S.

• Perform routine and complex technical procedures and functions according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that include processing and testing of environmental and/or biological specimens
• Monitor, operate and troubleshoot instrumentation to ensure proper functionality
• Make technical decisions regarding test outputs troubleshooting and resolution
• Assist with determining the viability of specimens for testing according to established criteria
• Maintain a safe work environment
• Assist with the training of lab members, including students, and maintaining training logs
• Assist with the maintenance of laboratory safety and waste management
• Assist with the inventory of processing and testing supplies to ensure functioning laboratory
• Assist with quarterly technical and final reports
• Assist with development of abstracts, manuscripts, and/or presentations based on lab activities and/or scientific findings
• Work in an international team environment.