Company Description
Jena University Hospital is the sole university medical center in Thuringia, with a legacy spanning over 200 years and a history of medical education for more than 450 years. With a workforce of approximately 7,000 employees and over 380 trainees, it is the largest employer and educational institution in the region. The hospital's 31 clinics and 26 research institutes deliver medical care to over 500,000 patients annually and educate around 2,700 medical and dental students, alongside advanced medical research initiatives. Jena University Hospital proudly brings together professionals from over 80 nations for cutting-edge medical education, research, and patient care.
You will join the POSIT Lab (Psycho-Omics, Systemic Intervention & Translation) led by Professor Chai Lim at the Universitätsklinikum Jena, an interdisciplinary team combining targeted metabolomics, neurochemistry, molecular biology, and computational analytics to advance child and adolescent mental health research. The POSIT Lab focuses on how immune function, HPA-axis regulation, the gut microbiome, lifestyle, and environmental stressors shape neurodevelopment and psychiatric outcomes. Using state-of-the-art analytical platforms, non-invasive biosampling, and longitudinal clinical studies, the goal is to develop biomarker-driven, personalized, and precision approaches to support early intervention and resilience in young people.
Role Description
This is a part-time (36 hours/week, 0.9 FTE) on-site position for a Medizinisch-Technische/r Laborassistent/in (MTA-L) based in Jena. The role involves:
* Preparation of various biological samples and chemical reagents for the analysis workflow
* Performing metabolome analyses using UHPLC, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS in various biological samples
* Performing affinity-based assays (e.g., ELISA) using a multimode microplate reader - recording, evaluation, and documentation of measurement data
* Maintenance of laboratory equipment, general laboratory organization, ordering of chemicals and consumables
* Conducting molecular biological and biochemical experiments on cell cultures (PBMC, cell lines)
* Performing various molecular biological characterizations (e.g., protein and gene profiling) in cell and tissue extracts
* Support in the implementation and validation of new scientific methods from published studies/publications
Qualifications
* Completed vocational training as an MTA-L or completed training in a medical-associated profession with comparable content
* Good knowledge/qualifications for working with various hazardous chemicals
* Good knowledge of metabolic assays of tryptophan and tyrosine downstream analytes is an advantage
* Willingness to work with various biological samples: blood, urine, saliva, stool, tissue
* Experience in sample preparation of various biological samples for metabolomics analysis
* Experience (1–2 years) in analytical laboratory techniques for metabolomics analysis, especially basic knowledge in the daily handling of UHPLC, GCMS and LCMS/MS as well as in data acquisition is required.
* Experience in cell culture work as well as with PBMC, common cell lines (colorectal, breast cancer) – especially with neuronal and glial cell lines is desirable
* High level of independence and ability to work in a team
* Willingness to learn new methods for neuro-scientific research beyond metabolomics analysis
* good organizational skills and attention to detail are essential
* Punctuality and goal-oriented work
* Good computer skills and documentation - Very good knowledge of German (at least C1 certificate) and English skills
Apply directly via this link: Medical-technical laboratory assistant (m/f/d) wanted in Jena at Jena University Hospital Jena