Junior Research Assistant
Overall Purpose of the Job
To assist in crop production and management for the project in screen house, experimental plots and vegetable companion plants gardens, assist in laboratory, semi-field (screenhouse) and field experiments and operations.
Specific Duties
- To carry out mass crop production (vegetable and companion plants) for laboratory, screenhouse and field experiments and insect’s colony maintenance.
- To assist in insect colony maintenance of the insect pests to be used in the project experiments.
- To carry out mass planting of experimental plants in screenhouse.
- To help in data collection and entry in screenhouse and field experiments.
To maintain plants in companion gardens for experiments and experimental trial plots.
Requirements/Qualifications
- KCSE or its equivalent.
- Basic knowledge in a similar role
- Conversant in using MS Word, Excel for data entry.
- Good skills in field collection of plants and insects’ samples.
- At least six months experience in a research laboratory in a research organisation.
Other Desirable Attributes
- Troubleshooting in screenhouse experiments and data entry.
- Contribution to data collection.
Research Officer I in the Human Health Theme
Overall Purpose of the Job
The Research Officer will support an arbovirus project investigating drivers of dengue virus transmission and the potential for Wolbachia-based transmission blocking in Kenya. The assistant will be able to; collect and identify Aedes mosquitoes to the subspecies level (molecularly) and perform a variety of experiments and analyses to determine vector genetics, microbiome composition, Wolbachia density/tissue distribution, and assess vector competence. The individual will be able to establish and maintain mosquito colonies, set up experiments that encompass blood-feeding (artificial membrane feeder) of vectors with infectious doses of the dengue virus under Biological Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) facilities, and manipulate the vector to establish virus susceptibility status. In addition, the individual will use molecular and cell/virus culture techniques to determine and quantify the virus in the mosquito. The individual must be able to adhere to correct standard operating procedures and health and safety guidelines.
Specific Duties
- Field collection and identification of Aedes mosquitoes using morphological and molecular techniques.
- Establish mosquito colonies from field-collected specimens and conduct experiments (e.g., vector competence assays, fitness determination, introgressive hybridization).
- Analysis of mosquito tissue to determine virus susceptibility status (infection, dissemination, and transmission) and Wolbachia density and distribution.
- Perform bacteria isolation and gnotobiotic experiments.
- Assist in training students/interns.
- Collate and summarise data and present monthly progress reports.
- Carry out any other duties commensurate with experience that may be assigned occasionally.
Requirements/Qualifications
- BSc in Biological Sciences.
- Knowledge of vector biology.
- Ability to work independently with minimum supervision.
- Good clinical laboratory procedures.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Knowledge in inventory and biorepository management.
- Experience in and willing to engage in fieldwork.
- Ability to rear and maintain Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
- Cell and virus culture techniques (media preparation, propagation and maintenance of Vero and C6/36 cell lines, virus amplification, plaque assay, and TCID50).
- Molecular techniques (qPCR, RT-PCR).
- Bacteria culture and characterization.
- At least 1 year experience working in research and development activities especially in an engaging laboratory and BSL-2 facility.
Other Desirable Attributes
- Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to troubleshoot and respond to a dynamic work environment.
- Ability to undertake initiatives.
- Team player and willing to assist students in setting up experiments.
APPLY USING THE LINK BELOW:
icipe – African Insect Science for Food and Health on recruit.icipe.org t
