Research Assistant [LKCMedicine]

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) trains doctors who put patients at the centre of their exemplary care. The School, which offers both undergraduate and graduate programmes, is named after local philanthropist Tan Sri Dato Lee Kong Chian. Established in 2010 by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in partnership with Imperial College London, LKCMedicine aims to be a model for innovative medical education and a centre for transformative research. The School’s primary clinical partner is the National Healthcare Group, a leader in public healthcare recognised for the quality of its medical expertise, facilities and teaching. The School is transitioning to an NTU medical school ahead of the 2028 successful conclusion of the NTU-Imperial partnership to set up a Joint Medical School. In August 2024, we welcomed our first intake of the NTU MBBS programme, that has been recently enhanced to include themes like precision medicine and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with an expanded scope in the medical humanities. Graduates from the five-year undergraduate medical degree programme will have a strong understanding of the scientific basis of medicine, with an emphasis on technology, data science and the humanities.

We are seeking a Research Assistant to support the project "Enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer through butyrate-producing bacteria consortia". The Research Assistant will perform laboratory and preclinical experiments to evaluate how candidate butyrate-producing bacteria enhance chemotherapy efficacy and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The role will involve microbiology, colorectal cancer cell models, animal studies, molecular assays, sample processing and data analysis, while supporting the safe and efficient operation of the laboratory.

For more information, please visit https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp00609.       

Key Responsibilities:

• Culture and maintain bacterial strains, including anaerobic butyrate-producing bacteria, and prepare bacterial inocula or culture-derived materials for experiments.
• Maintain colorectal cancer cell lines, including chemotherapy-resistant models, and support in vitro studies such as cell viability, apoptosis and proliferation assays.
• Perform molecular and cellular assays, including qPCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, histology, fluorescence/FISH staining and microscopy, as required by the project.
• Support in vivo colorectal cancer and microbiome studies, including animal monitoring, oral gavage, sample collection, tissue processing and endpoint analyses, in accordance with approved protocols.
• Assist with preparation and organization of samples and datasets for microbiome sequencing, metabolomics and other downstream analyses, and provide support for basic data analysis and interpretation.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and contribute to laboratory operations, procurement, inventory, equipment upkeep and compliance with biosafety, animal-use and institutional requirements.
• Work closely with the PI and research team, contribute to project reporting and presentations, and support the preparation of scientific outputs arising from the grant.

Required educational qualification, experience, skills and competencies:

• Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Microbiology, or a related field. Entry-level applicants or candidates with no prior full-time working experience but relevant laboratory training are welcome to apply.
• Hands-on experience in microbiology, molecular biology, or mammalian cell culture is preferred; experience with anaerobic bacterial culture or colorectal cancer models is advantageous.
• Experience with animal experiments is advantageous but not essential; appropriate training will be provided where required.
• Strong organizational and record-keeping skills, attention to detail, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research team.
• Willingness to support time-sensitive cell culture, bacterial culture, or animal experiments when required.