Senior Research Technician - Biology

The Tufts Department of Biology provides a unified and comprehensive view of biological processes and opportunities for undergraduates to actively participate in cutting-edge biological research in molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, physiology, ecology, animal behavior, and conservation biology. The Department of Biology maintains an active research and teaching program on the Medford campus and in various field locales, and trains and advises graduate and undergraduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows.

The position will begin December 15th, 2025. The initial appointment will be for 1 year, with potential for extension of at least another year depending on available funds and performance.

The Wolfe Lab in the Department of Biology at Tufts University is seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic full-time Sr. research technician. The Wolfe Lab is housed in a recently renovated research space on the Medford, MA campus of Tufts University.

The Wolfe Lab uses fermented foods and other synthetic microbial communities to study the ecology and evolution of microbiomes. They also use food as a tool for improving microbial literacy through teaching and outreach.

The technician will work on a variety of wet-lab and dry-lab projects investigating bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that live in fermented foods such as surface-ripened cheeses, fermented vegetables, and sourdough. They will also help support the broader lab ecosystem (including projects of undergraduates and graduate students) by ordering materials and equipment, organizing samples, helping to maintain lab equipment and the lab space, training students in established protocols, and developing new lab protocols.

The candidate will plan and conduct laboratory experiments, analyze data, keep careful records, and communicate data to the PI and lab team members. Responsibilities will include executing research projects and lab management.

Specific tasks include:

• Setting up, maintaining, and harvesting microbial community experiments
• Isolation of microbial cultures from fermented foods
• Extraction of nucleic acids for various -omics analyses
• Sequence analysis of microbial genomes and transcriptomic data
• Managing and processing chemical and biological wastes in the lab
• Helping to prepare shipments of lab samples
• Receiving deliveries of food samples from food producers
• Communicating results and answering queries from food producers
• Maintaining the lab website
• Updating chemical inventories and lab safety protocols
• Ordering lab supplies
• Helping to maintain lab equipment
• Analyzing, writing, and visualizing results for publications and grant applications
• Participating in and presenting in lab meetings

The successful candidate should have at least a B.Sc. in a relevant field (e.g., biology, microbiology, food science). Prior experience culturing both filamentous fungi and bacteria from food samples is required. The ability to communicate effectively, solve problems efficiently, coordinate multiple projects, and thrive in an open-lab design with shared communal spaces is essential.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in biology, microbiology, or related field with at least one year of practical laboratory experience
• Experience in one or more of the following experimental techniques: microbial community assembly assays, microbial interaction assays, metagenomic sequencing and analysis, transcriptome sequencing and analysis
• The analytical skills to resolve problems that require the use of basic scientific, mathematical, or technical principles
• Experience with science outreach, especially in the area of microbiology

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience doing microbiome experiments with both bacteria and fungi

Special Work Schedule Requirements:

Will work with and be exposed to hazardous chemicals and materials.

Need to adhere to proper safety procedures. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate