Junior Specialist/Emerson lab

We seek to hire a Junior Specialist to conduct research in soil, using molecular biology equipment and techniques, soil science techniques, and bioinformatics as part of larger projects focused on characterizing viral roles in soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. Primary duties will involve co-designing field and laboratory experiments; executing field and laboratory experiments; purchasing and preparing field and laboratory supplies; receiving and logging soil samples; entering data into spreadsheets and archiving paper data forms.

Research (90%):

The incumbent of this position will be actively and significantly involved in publishable research activities through the following roles and duties:

* Assist the PI by performing viral particle purification and nucleic acid extractions of viral and other microbial communities from soil, using autoclaves, molecular biology equipment, and molecular biology techniques as part of larger projects focused on characterizing viral roles in soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry.

* Assist the PI by culturing bacteria, archaea, and their viruses from soil to contribute to the group's culture collection, and work with the PI to develop and execute experiments on the culture collection.

* Maintain a well-organized lab notebook detailing laboratory procedures, results (e.g., DNA and RNA extraction yields), sample IDs, and sample locations, and share lab notebook information with the PI during regular meetings (approximately every 1-2 weeks).

* Assist the PI in designing and executing field and laboratory microcosm experiments. The field sites to be visited most regularly are within ~35 min of the UC Davis campus, but occasional travel to field sites up to 4.5 hours away is possible and may involve overnight stays (accommodations and transportation to be covered by the PI's grants). Lead small teams of undergraduates on field expeditions as needed.

* Interact professionally with colleagues at UC Davis and other collaborative institutions. One of the primary projects associated with this position will be in collaboration with a large research team. Professional interactions for sharing scientific data and coordinating logistically across the team will be expected.

* Assist the PI with bioinformatics data processing and analysis of sequencing and other omic data, for example using our high-performance computing cluster and the R and Python programming languages.

* Assist the PI in manuscript preparation, including but not limited to: preparing tables and figures, statistically analyzing data, reading scholarly literature, writing methods and results sections, and revising manuscripts.

* Assist the PI and other lab members in shared tasks required for running a safe research laboratory, such as eyewash checks, fire extinguisher checks, ensuring secondary containment for hazardous chemicals, and appropriate storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

* Assist the PI and other lab members with their ongoing projects (mostly soil, very occasionally human biosamples including human gut), using techniques already commonly used as part of the primary roles described above, such as field sample collection, virome preparation, and DNA and RNA extraction.

Professional competence (5%):

* The incumbent will participate in weekly lab meetings and will be encouraged to attend weekly seminars in the Department of Plant Pathology and/or in other scientific seminar series on the UC Davis campus.

* The incumbent will be encouraged to read scientific literature to assist with experimental design and interpretation.

University and Public Service (5%):

* As a component of university service, the incumbent will be available to serve on one or more departmental committees as suggested by department administration.

* As a public service, the incumbent will also be encouraged to provide occasional research updates at public events such as those held by UC Cooperative Extension.

* Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Soil Science, or a related field.

* This is an entry level position reserved for graduates with Bachelor's degree and less than 2-3 years of experience.

Preferred qualifications would include programming experience in R and Python, experience cultivating diverse soil bacteria, experience with isotopes in the biological sciences (stable and/or radioisotopes), and experience contributing to scientific publications.

• 3 required (contact information only)

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
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