Drosophila Auxiliary Technician

Job Description

Job Summary: 
We're on the lookout for a detail-driven Auxiliary Technician to join the CDN Fly Facility in a pioneering sustainability initiative. This role is at the heart of transforming how we work?by helping us move away from single-use plastic fly vials toward a reusable, zero-waste model. 

Currently, fly vials?used to house and feed research flies?are disposed of after just one use, entering the clinical waste stream and ending up in high-temperature incineration. This not only carries a hefty cost but also significantly contributes to our carbon footprint. 

By transitioning to reusable vials, you'll be part of a groundbreaking effort to slash single-use plastic in our labs, cut down on Scope 3 emissions, and move the Department?and King?s College London?closer to its Net Zero goal. If you're passionate about sustainability and keen to make a tangible impact in research operations, we?d love to hear from you. 

The project will be based in New Hunts House CDN, working with the labs that use the facility and the  technical manager and fly technician to determine a cleaning protocol for fly vials, test the validity of the protocol through microbiology techniques, and determine the effect, if any, of the change on the fruit flies. The student would work with wild type fruit flies to determine their reaction to reused vials that had previously been used for chemical or drug work, and in doing so will learn basic fly maintenance techniques.   

Once the project is complete, the student will have created a protocol for cleaning the glass fly vials, considered the cost of moving to reusable vials, calculated the labour requirements and equipment purchases needed to make this a viable long-term solution, assess current fly protocols and suggest areas where further changes can be made. The assessment will be presented to Technical Managers and PI?s using the facility.   

Responsibilities: 

Facility & Equipment Maintenance: 

Read all relevant literature to the project.

Develop a protocol for cleaning and reusing glass vials. 

Develop a protocol in the case of glass smashing/fly escape.

Validate different decontamination methods (freezing vs autoclaving) and the energy associated with each one. 

Identify equipment which needs to be purchased for the pilot and future transition. 

Collect data on the baseline and after the pilot on the amount of waste saved, energy used and loss of glass vials or H&S issues. 

Collate and present data on the glass pilot project. 

Collect, clean, scrub, and wash Drosophila glass and plastic vials. 

Operate laboratory equipment, including mixing vessels, autoclaves, dishwashers, and other relevant tools. 

Organize and restock vials in trays for reuse. 

Maintain a supply of chemicals and consumables for media preparation. 

Assist in maintaining lab equipment and supplies. 

Support for Research & Experiments: 

Assist with Drosophila-related experimental procedures when required. 

Maintain accurate records of media preparation and fly stock organization. 

Follow strict safety protocols and laboratory procedures. 

undergraduate wet-lab based science degree or actively completing one.

Skills & Qualifications: 

Technical Skills: 

Ability to operate lab equipment (autoclave, dishwasher, mixing vessels). 

Experience with Drosophila or other laboratory animals is a plus. 

Ability to carry out manual handling tasks (e.g., lifting and loading vials into dishwashers/autoclaves). 

Other Attributes: 

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. 

Presentation skills.

Ability to work independently and within a team. 

Commitment to maintaining a clean and efficient work environment.