Junior Lab Technician (JB1695)

Junior Lab Technician (JB1695)

Germiston, Johannesburg

R17 000 per month, negotiable

Duration: Six-month contract (with possibility of extension)

Overview

The Junior Lab Technician will form part of a Research and Development team who will be focused on optimizing the cultivation of microalgae.

Minimum Requirements:

• BScHons/MSc in Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry or similar field
• Preferably 1 to 2 years relevant industry experience in microalgae culture
• Previous experience working with hazardous materials, chemicals and laboratory equipment
• Must be proficient in the maintenance of axenic cultures and maintaining sterile culture conditions
• Previous experience working with hazardous materials, chemicals and laboratory equipment
• Experience with basic analytical chemistry methods is required. Knowledge of microscopic identification of microalgal strains and analysis of lipids and lipid profile analysis with gas chromatography is a plus
• Must be computer literate, proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, specifically Excel, with experience in data collection
• Ability to follow SOPs
• Must be able to work independently and flexibly and to adapt to changing priorities
• Good communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Discretion when dealing with disclosures of sensitive and proprietary information. This contract will include strict non-disclosure terms.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepare nutrient and chemical stocks for algae production
• Perform cleaning and sanitation duties for algae production equipment
• Prepare flask, media, and algae production equipment for autoclaving
• Inoculate flasks with algal cultures and maintain cultures in a controlled growing environment for scale-up, up to 10 L photo-bioreactors, ensuring sterile and axenic culture conditions
• Monitor algae growth parameters in lab and scale-up bioreactors
• Perform routine water chemistry analysis and routine measurements for characterizing algae productivity and process yield
• Perform microscopic evaluations of cultures
• Keep daily records of observations and activities
• Assist the senior laboratory technician to maintain a stock of lab supplies, conducting regular stock counts and reporting on stock lows
• Report any equipment failures to the senior laboratory technician
• Perform and document internal QA/QC on analytical procedures
• Perform non-routine analysis in support of process development or troubleshooting purposes, as well as in support of research and development experiments, as required