Research Assistant - Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy Project

About the role

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) is seeking a Research Assistant to support the project "Enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer through butyrate-producing bacteria consortia". The assistant performs laboratory and preclinical experiments to evaluate how candidate butyrate-producing bacteria enhance chemotherapy efficacy and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The role covers microbiology, colorectal cancer cell models, animal studies, molecular assays, sample processing and data analysis, while supporting the safe and efficient operation of the laboratory.

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 profile

• 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 independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research team.
• Willingness to support time-sensitive cell culture, bacterial culture or animal experiments when required.