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Back to jobs Laboratory Technician and Administrator - Variable Hours
  • Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire
  • £15,000 to £16,000
  • (Contract)
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This company provides strategic health care solutions to horse owners and veterinary practises.

They are looking for laboratory assistants to support their existing team. There is the possibility of full time and part time vacancies with flexible and variable hours.

This company provides strategic health care solutions to horse owners and veterinary practises through their three service options.

You will be joining a high volume equine parasitology laboratory. The role will involve carrying out coprological parasitology assays and reporting these findings as well as routine laboratory husbandry and administration.

Job Dimension

To investigate the internal parasite burden of selected equine parasites using set methodology as set out by the company. To support the administrative function of the business.

Responsibilities

- Perform laboratory assays to produce reliable and precise data
- Carry out routine tasks accurately following strict methodologies to carry out analysis
- Preparing samples and specimens for analysis
- Undertake coprological assays as part of the equine parasite diagnostic service
- Operating and maintaining standard laboratory equipment, for example centrifuges and microscopes
- Recording and interpreting results
- Using IT systems to record results
- Using IT systems and data to support other elements of the business
- Adhering to and following health and safety procedures
- Dealing with suppliers and arranging maintenance.
- Telephone answering and other administration tasks.
- Any other tasks as agreed with your line manager which are appropriate with this position.

The Role

The purpose of the laboratory is to provide an indication of intestinal parasites present in the horse from the eggs laid that are excreted in the faeces. By using a Faecal Egg Count (FEC) you can gain an indication of if the animal has a parasitic infection and if it is at a level that requires treatment or not.

The majority of the time you will be conducting the protocol in front of you, the modified McMaster FEC. This method is used to give an indication of the burden of Strongyles and Ascarids. They are aiming at full production for each technician to be able to process 60 samples per day.

Technique: Weigh out 3g of faeces, add 42ml of water agitate, sieve, pour into 2 test tubes for each animal in the batch, then centrifuge at 2500 rpm for 10 minutes. While this batch is spinning down you can start the process again with another batch. Discard the supernatant, the remaining pellet can be stored in the fridge until it is read.The pellets are vortexed and re-suspend in flotation solution. 1ml is drawn off the supernatant and placed in both chambers of a McMaster Slide. This is then read under the microscope counting any strongyle and ascarid eggs present. The process works in duplicate so the final eggs per gram result is the average of the 2 counts multiplied by 50. This result is then reported onto the database. The samples are discarded and the process starts again.