TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. Comprehend a technical vocabulary.
2. Follow protocol.
3. Maintain laboratory notebook
4. Interact with vendors, colleague, and clients.
5. Write or update protocols, SOP's, manuals, reports, and technical summaries.
SAFETY
1. Identify first aid supplies, personnel, emergency protection areas and evacuation plan.
2. Follow appropriate safety procedures, guidelines, and chemical hygiene plan.
3. Follow universal precautions for biological pathogens
4. Follow use of laminar flow, fume hood, and biological safety cabinets.
5. Use protective equipment.
6. Take appropriate protective measures while working around UV light.
7. Maintain safety equipment.
8. Monitor, use, store, and dispose of hazardous materials properly.
9. Observe rules of safety with radioactive materials.
10. Attend required training.
11. Observe rules of electrical safety.
12. Recognize safety symbols/signs.
13. Maintain, understand, and follow materials safety data sheet (MSDS) and worker protection Standards (WPS)
14. Recognize common lab hazards and observe procedures for the safe use of instruments and gas cylinders.
15. Keep work area free from clutter.
BASIC LAB SKILLS
1. Use scientific method
2. Obtain and read protocol, test procedure, standard operating procedures (SOPs)
3. Check equipment
4. Sterilize equipment where appropriate.
5. Prepare glassware
6. Organize compounds
7. Perform mathematical calculations and conversions
8. Operate centrifuges
9. Use titration and pipetting techniques.
10. Prepare and dispense stock reagents, buffers, media, and solutions.
11. Maintain reagents integrity (store properly, avoid cross-contamination, use at proper temperature, etc).
12. Sterilize reagents, buffers, media, and solutions where appropriate.
13. Calculate and prepare dilution's series.
14. Monitor physical properties of reagents, buffers, media, and solution
15. Determine acceptability and optimum conditions of reagents for tests.
16. Request tests and match request to test sample.
17. Set up and work reactions.
18. Prepare test subject (mentally and physically) for sampling.
19. Assess acceptability/appropriateness of specimen.
20. Obtain and label sample/specimen
21. Prepare sample for testing
22. Perform tests/assays: chemical, biological, clinical, environment, robotic, mechanical
23. Perform histotechniques where needed.
24. Perform basic separation techniques.
25. Operate chromatography equipment.
26. Return, archive, or dispose of samples appropriately.
27. Package, handle and ship biological materials.
28. Maintain inventory of laboratory supplies.
29. Order supplies and reagents
30. Date, label, store supplies and/or reagents.
31. Maintain and store manufactured products inventory.
MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCTION
1. Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and batch record.
2. Obtain raw materials
3. Set up equipment according to process requirement
4. Perform cleaning (manual/Clean in Place (CIP) and sterilize (autoclave/Sterilize in Place (SIP).
5. Prepare buffers and solutions.
6. Start up production.
7. Monitor production lines.
8. Operate reactors and recover products.
9. Obtain, process, and store product samples (applies to all manufacturing steps.)
10. Purify product
11. Formulate, fill, and inspect product.
12. Label and package product.
13. Distribute final product.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
1. Follow regulations: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
2. Follow regulations: U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
3. Follow regulations: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
4. Follow regulations: National Institute of Health (NIH).
5. Follow regulations: National Research Council (NRC).
6. Follow regulations: Department of Transportation (DOT).
7. Follow regulations: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
8. Follow state and local regulations.
9. Follow industry and professional regulations.
10. Perform manufacturing using current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
11. Follow regulations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
12. Follow regulations: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
13. Follow regulations: Clinical Laboratory Improvement (CLIA, 88, Amendment of 1988 Protein techs skills).
SPECIFIC LAB SKILLS
1) Microbiology Skills
a) Maintain workshop and equipment hygiene.
b) Prepare, sterilize, and dispense media, buffers, solutions, etc.
c) Identify and quantify microorganisms and cells.
d) Isolate, maintain, and store pure cultures.
e) Maintain and analyze fermentation materials.
f) Harvest cells.
g) Transform hosts.
h) Perform bioassays.
i) Decontaminate and dispose of equipment, glassware, and biologicals.
2) Cell Biology Techniques
a) Isolate and characterize cell lines.
b) Propagate plant and animal tissue.
c) Use cryogenic techniques.
d) Use microscopes.
e) Perform cytological tests, i.e. sectioning and staining.
f) Perform bioassays.
3) Nucleic Acid Techniques
a) Detect specific nucleic acid sequences.
b) Isolate nucleic acids.
c) Perform restriction digests.
d) Perform gel electrophoresis.
e) Label nucleic acids.
f) Perform nucleic acid sequencing procedures.
g) Perform PCR procedures.
h) Use sequence database.
i) Perform basic cloning techniques.
4) Protein Techniques
a) Detect specific proteins.
b) Precipitate/solubilize proteins.
c) Separate proteins, isolate or characterize proteins.
d) Concentrate proteins.
e) Perform protein assays.
QUALITY ASSURANCE /CONTROL
1) Document product specifications.
2) Inspect and verify integrity of the product, procedure, specimen.
3) Use test standards, control.
4) Maintain QA logs.
5) Document customer complaints.
6) Take and document corrective action according to SOP or as directed.
EQUIPMENT AND FACILITY
1) Check calibration and perform systems diagnostics.
2) Monitor/record the environmental conditions of the facility (growth chamber, greenhouse, seed storage room, animal room or manufacturing suite).
3) Validate or confirm processes, equipment, facilities, kits, and vendor products.
4) Perform or schedule preventive maintenance.
5) Clean work area according to SOPs
6) Sample environment.
7) Implement systems updates.
8) Maintain equipment logs.
9) Trouble shoot and repair equipment (work order)
10) Label equipment and facilities.
11) Ensure clean room integrity.
CARE FOR RESEARCH ANIMALS AND PLANTS
1) Monitor health and maintain health records.
2) Feed, water, and observe plants and animals and monitor intake.
3) Receive and transport animals.
4) Monitor housing conditions.
5) Restrain and handle animals.
6) Clean housing and sterilize cages.
7) Maintain health records.
8) Monitor and maintain animal safety.
9) Prepare food/feed and prescription diets.
10) Collect and process specimens.
11) Maintain separate in-process, quarantine, and release areas.
CONDUCT PLANT AND ANIMAL FIELD OR PRE-CLINICAL TRIALS
1) Perform small-scale field tests according to protocol.
2) Apply plant pesticides for evaluation.
3) Inoculate plants and/or soil biological and biochemical materials.
4) Manage plants/animals for optimal growth.
5) Collect biological data.
6) Use field database.
7) Perform bioassays.
GREENHOUSE/GROWTH CHAMBER
1) Maintain plants and optimal growth.
2) Gather pollen and handle pollinate.
3) Apply agrichemicals safely.
4) Maintain and monitor insect populations.
5) Apply plant pests safely.
6) Mix growth media.
7) Pot and repot plants.
8) Monitor growth and development of plants.
9) Operate computerized equipment.
10) Perform bioassays.
