Molecular and Cellular Biology Researchers

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
• Evaluate new supplies and equipment to ensure operability in specific laboratory settings.
• Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements.
• Design databases, such as mutagenesis libraries.
• Participate in all levels of bioproduct development, including proposing new products, performing market analyses, designing and performing experiments, and collaborating with operations and quality control teams during product launches.
• Write grant applications to obtain funding.
• Develop guidelines for procedures such as the management of viruses.
• Monitor or operate specialized equipment, such as gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
• Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned.
• Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields.
• Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis.
• Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
• Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary.
• Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research.
• Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
• Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste.
• Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows.
• Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation.
• Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
• Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
• Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology.