Job Description

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is bringing together the finest minds to form a diverse, vibrant and dynamic workforce culture energized by the innovative capacity of students, new graduates and mid-career professionals, underpinned by senior world renowned experts. We hire numerous students each semester from colleges and universities to support our research and perform other assignments. If you are looking for interesting and challenging work this summer then keep reading, and if you meet the requirements of this role, apply today.

Department: Radiobiology & Health

Number of Positions: 1

Duration: 4 to 16 months (beginning in May - length depending on successful candidate)

Discipline: University program in any Biology related field

Year of study: Currently enrolled in at least the fourth year of study or higher

Location: Chalk River, ON

NOTE:

All students applying for student positions at CNL must be returning to full-time studies upon completion of their work term. Exceptions will be made for students who require a work term in order to graduate.

Students must submit a resume, cover letter and copy of an up-to-date transcript to ensure consideration for student employment.

INTRO
The Radiobiology and Health branch (R&H) at the CRL investigates the effects of low-dose radiation on living systems at CNL and for the Canadian nuclear industry. Our research group at the R&H branch is seeking a bright undergraduate or graduate student loving life sciences and is interested to take part in several exciting studies including applying transcriptomic analysis to understand the radiation-induced effects on the health system. These multi-disciplinary projects involve both wet-lab experiments and dry-lab bioinformatics analysis, some of which are conducted in collaboration with Health Canada. This position is expected to be for 4 months, with the option of up to 16 months, beginning in May 2023.

Over the past few decades, much research has focused on identifying biomarkers of radiation-induced effects using high-content mechanism-based methods such as \xe2\x80\x9comic\xe2\x80\x9d technologies. Single-cell sequencing is a currently developed technology to detect genomic, transcriptomic, and other multi-omics information, which can provide a comprehensive understanding of biomarker identification. Benchmark dose (BMD) modeling is a powerful tool to analyze dose-response data to identify the potential dose inducing the adverse outcome, widely applied in the realm of chemistry and toxicology for risk assessment. These projects will especially benefit risk management through understanding the BMD application in radiation-induced health effects. The successful candidate will play an important role in the studies involved in conducting experiments (e.g., cell culture, RNA/exosome extraction, PCR amplification, library preparation, etc.), and applying the BMD analysis to radiation-induced health effects in blood. They will also actively participate in journal club presentations on various research topics, regular meetings with stakeholders, and manuscript writing including literature reviews and scientific discoveries. Their research work and academic efforts will deliver publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The successful candidate will work with a group of research scientists and technologists with expertise in radiobiology, cellular biology, and molecular biology on various projects focusing on the effects of low-dose radiation. The Biological Research Facility (BRF) and R&H labs will be applied to conduct radiological research using live biological specimens and cell cultures.

This is a very exciting opportunity for a young scientist and we look forward to working with the student hired as they grow their skills in our lab.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Following detailed written and verbal instructions under supervision, as well as conducting experiments independently once trained;
• Use of various laboratory equipment and associated software for sample preparation and data analyses;
• Record keeping of experiments & meeting minutes;
• Generating written reports (MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel) showing processed and analyzed experimental data;
• Manual labor such as cleaning and labeling laboratory equipment;
• Preparation of chemical solutions and laboratory reagents;
• Attendance at staff meetings, meetings with collaborators, and training courses when required.

Work Characteristics:

• Handling reagents that may be chemical or biological hazards, according to proper safe laboratory practice
• Handling human-related biological samples, such as blood.
• Physical demands include the ability to remain in seated or standing positions for long periods of time for routine pipetting at the lab bench, computer desktops, or microscopes
• Training (e.g., laboratory and workplace health and safety, radiation protection) will be completed as required by the supervisor or management

REQUIREMENTS

• Currently enrolled in at least the fourth year of study or higher at a university of recognized standing in any biology-related program.
• General knowledge of chemical solution preparation
• Theoretical knowledge of cell biology, molecular biology, statistics, and bioinformatics.
• Theoretical knowledge of biochemical methods and research background mentioned above (some or all; hands-on experience will be an asset)
• Basic knowledge of the statistical programming language R will be an asset. Previous experience in high-performance computing clusters and data analysis will be preferred.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills and effective oral and written communication skills
• Ability to quickly learn aseptic human-related cell culture technique
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective team member and to respond to challenging schedule demands (overtime or flexible work schedules may occasionally be required)
• The successful candidate will not have any allergies to rodents as the lab space may be shared with experiments on animal tissues
• Previous work experience in a biology lab setting is preferred

MAJORS
The scientific field of study \xe2\x80\x93 Any biology-related field.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories