Job Information
Case Western Reserve University Research Assistant 2 in Cleveland, Ohio
POSITION OBJECTIVE
While working under general supervision, the Research Assistant 2 will plan and carry out research on the effects of dietary fructose on hormonal regulation of transport processes in renal proximal tubules. The objective of this research is to understand the molecular mechanisms and cell signaling pathways altered by dietary fructose that lead to salt-sensitive hypertension. This position will work with animals.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Independently perform rat and mouse vascular surgery including cannulation, after instruction as required by experimental protocols. This requires anesthetizing the rat or mouse, and will be a non-survival surgery. (20%)
- Plan and carry out Western blots for proteases expressed and secreted into the urine by proximal tubules. This will require either performing nephrectomy on anesthetized rats and collecting renal cortical tissue or collecting urine from rats in metabolic cages. For urinary protease excretion, rats will be housed in metabolic cages and urine collected for 24 hours. (10%)
- Conduct a series of experiments to supply scientific information as part of a larger project. Perform measurements of fluid transport on isolated renal tubules. Nephrectomy will be performed and single proximal tubules will be dissected by hand under a microscope. The tubule will be perfused on an array of glass pipets on an inverted microscope. Tubules will be perfused with a solution containing FITC-inulin. Fluid collected from the distal end of the tubule will be assayed for FITC-inulin concentration. Fluid transport will be calculated from the values of FITC-inulin concentration in perfused and collected fluids. (20%)
- Measure the activity of intracellular signaling cascades in real time using fluorescent probes in isolated nephron segments. Measure the activity of signaling cascades using biochemical techniques. May assist in developing improved techniques, projection methods or procedures. (20%)
- Collect, analyze and evaluate experimental data. Raw data collected from experiments will be reduced to the appropriate values by normalization for either mg protein, tubule length or other such parameters. Differences between either rats fed different diets or different acute treatments will be analyzed for significance using appropriate statistical methods. These may include paired or unpaired T-test and analysis of variance. The choice of method testing for statistical significance will be in consultation with the supervisor. (10%)
- Maintain an appropriate laboratory notebook. (10%)
Oversee inventory, order laboratory supplies as required. (7%)
NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Perform other duties as assigned. (3%)
CONTACTS
Department: Regular contact with principal investigators to discuss research progress, research direction, goals and time management two to three times per week. Daily contact with laboratory employees when conducting collaborative research projects.
University: None
External: None
Students: Intermittent contact with laboratory student employees when collaborating on common research projects.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
This position has no direct supervision of staff employees.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree and 1 to 3 years of experience in a laboratory setting with similar responsibilities required including vascular surgery on mice and rats or Associate's degree in an approved biotechnology program and 2 to 4 years of experience required. Master's degree in Physiology is preferred.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Experience in rat and mouse vascular surgery including cannulation.
Prior experience generating renal tubular suspensions from rats and mice using retrograde renal perfusion with collagenase digestion and centrifugation