Advice for first laboratory job PCR/Microbiology role

[DoonBigly]

I've a knew job in a cheese factory that I will be starting in less than two weeks. It's been 3 years since I graduated so I'm a little rusty. All I know so far is that it involves PCR. I'm not exactly sure what this job entails other then that, and to make matters worse there was no job spec for this role. 

The company is currently contracting out their PCR work, but they said they are having problems with this company, and want to start doing themselves. They've told me they're buying a new 'Bio-Rad' PCR machine and that they will be bringing in a BioRad representative to train me (and presumably other staff too). I don't really know what I'll actually be sequencing when using PCR. I've a feeling it's to do with sequencing the bacteria found in contaminated cheese vats?

Anyway, I seem to have managed to get through the interview, but I'm a bit worried that I'll be in over my dept. You know the way it's possible to get through bioscience degree without properly understanding PCR on doing much of it? Well that's me! Don't get me wrong, I also tried to understand thing... I'd just get confused about it all. So what might be the best way for me to prepare for this job?

Although I'm often very eager to be able to conceptualise what's going on at a molecular level, for the immediate future this might take too much of my time. At the end of the day, many people get through these molecular biology assays in a rote manner without thinking about what they're really doing. So with that in mind what are the basic things that I need to do (read up on) to prepare for this job? Can someone guide me towards good online PCR tutorials? Does anyone know what the role of a molecular biologist in a cheese factory would typically would be?

And what sort of questions should I ask my future boss as I email her during the week or two I have to prepare? I want to find out as much as I can, but yet without asking anything that will sound stupid!

Thank you, and I'm sure I'll be chatting with some of you on the forum 

 

[DrP]

I'm pretty sure you'll be given all the training you need to get on fine in the position. Congratulations on your new job. Good luck! :-)

[CharonY]

4 hours ago, DoonBigly said:

The company is currently contracting out their PCR work, but they said they are having problems with this company, and want to start doing themselves. They've told me they're buying a new 'Bio-Rad' PCR machine and that they will be bringing in a BioRad representative to train me (and presumably other staff too). I don't really know what I'll actually be sequencing when using PCR. I've a feeling it's to do with sequencing the bacteria found in contaminated cheese vats?

A) I recommend you refreshen your knowledge about what PCR is. It is not a sequencing technique, it merely amplifies a select gene region in a targeted way. That alone can be diagnostic if the right primers are selected, for some deeper insights the amplified product can be sequenced. To this end, I highly recommend you get a simple textbook on molecular techniques and read it, or perhaps go to some suppliers for polymerases and read through their manuals. 

B) Typically Bio-Rad does not sell turnkey systems, just the equipment and training for the instruments. I.e. they do not have a lot of application specialists for all potential applications. While they likely can tell you about the fundamentals of PCR and how to operate the cycler (the latter being rather trivial), but you will likely have to find protocols for your specific application (which basically means finding the right primers, for the most part).

You should ask for the types of contamination you are looking for and read literature regarding their detection via PCR for starters.

[DoonBigly]

On 6/11/2019 at 6:05 PM, CharonY said:

A) I recommend you refreshen your knowledge about what PCR is. It is not a sequencing technique, it merely amplifies a select gene region in a targeted way. That alone can be diagnostic if the right primers are selected, for some deeper insights the amplified product can be sequenced. To this end, I highly recommend you get a simple textbook on molecular techniques and read it, or perhaps go to some suppliers for polymerases and read through their manuals. 

B) Typically Bio-Rad does not sell turnkey systems, just the equipment and training for the instruments. I.e. they do not have a lot of application specialists for all potential applications. While they likely can tell you about the fundamentals of PCR and how to operate the cycler (the latter being rather trivial), but you will likely have to find protocols for your specific application (which basically means finding the right primers, for the most part).

You should ask for the types of contamination you are looking for and read literature regarding their detection via PCR for starters.

Thank you for your reply Charon,

So you're saying they don't sell the instruments, but they sell the for the equipment for the instruments? Could you maybe tell me what might be an example of such equipment would be? Does the PCR instrument not come complete?

[CharonY]

No. I meant they sell the instruments, but while its operation is trivial, there are very diverse uses for it. These uses are defined by the chemistry before they get into the cycler. Perhaps to elaborate a bit. The thermocycler basically only does temperature ramps very accurately and very fast. Unless it is also an instrument used for quantitative PCR, in which case they are also able to measure fluorescence at the same time.

What you ultimately amplify using the instrument is entirely defined by the primers, polymerase and template DNA, but you will have to get the right reagents for your particular diagnostic question.