Research Analyst II - Research Support for Microbiological and Chemical Contaminants, Seafood Safety

The mission of FDA HFP is to assure the safety and wholesomeness of regulated foods and related products. DSST laboratories provide scientific support for Agency policy, regulation, compliance programs, research, and outbreak investigations related to seafood safety. The DFPST Proficiency Testing (PT) Laboratory, accredited under ISO/IEC 17043, serves as an FDA-designated Proficiency Test Provider supporting analytical capability and capacity across FDA, state, and local public health laboratories. The PT Laboratory conducts proficiency testing exercises and supports validation and verification of microbiological and chemical analytical methods through inter-laboratory studies and comparison exercises.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing molecular assays to detect and/or identify bacterial species in seafood samples.
  
• Preparing DNA, RNA, and protein extractions for analyses.
  
• Performing molecular analysis using real-time PCR, Sanger sequencing, and/or nextgeneration sequencing.
  
• Performing bioinformatics analysis of DNA sequence data.
  
• Collecting and processing bacterial and eukaryal strains; assuring strain authenticity and taxonomic identity; and auditing strain inventories.
  
• Preparing toxins from seafood and assaying samples using existing protocols.
  
• Collecting environmental samples from marine environments.
  

Education:
Associate's to Bachelor's degree in Marine Biology or a related field (e.g., molecular biology, microbiology, biology, or biochemistry), with 2-5 years of experience.

Location: 
Onsite

Benefits

• PPO/HMO Health Plan (includes medical, dental, and vision)
  
• 401K Retirement Plan
  
• Paid Time Off (PTO)