| Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.) |
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| Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms. |
| Prepare technical reports and recommendations based upon research outcomes. |
| Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists. |
| Provide laboratory services for health departments, for community environmental health programs and for physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment. |
| Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens. |
| Use a variety of specialized equipment such as electron microscopes, gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters and phosphoimagers. |
| Study growth, structure, development, and general characteristics of bacteria and other microorganisms to understand their relationship to human, plant, and animal health. |
| Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition. |
| Observe action of microorganisms upon living tissues of plants, higher animals, and other microorganisms, and on dead organic matter. |
| Study the structure and function of human, animal and plant tissues, cells, pathogens and toxins. |
| Top Skills used in this Job |
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| Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems. |
| Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. |
| Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.) |
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| Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. |
| Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
