Laboratory Assistant (SRA 1

Job Summary

Work as part of a research team under the direction of the PI studying the population genomics of mosquito vectors, including Anopheles coluzzii, a principal vector of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Duties include laboratory management and administrative responsibilities such as safety training, ordering supplies, equipment maintenance, regulatory compliance, and supervising student employees. Further, the successful candidate will serve as a bridge between field and laboratory teams, coordinating sample and data collection efforts, receiving and organizing samples, uploading data into databases, and managing sample storage.

Tasks will also include molecular laboratory work, including DNA extraction (manual and automated), qPCR, MassARRAY assays, Sanger amplicon sequencing, NGS library preparation, DNA quantification (Qubit), and sample/library quality control (Tape Station). The lab manager must be available to travel to field sites in west Africa for up to 6 weeks at a time to train field team members in data collection and to assist with Anopheles mosquito sampling, processing, and extraction, as well as laboratory setup.

• No minimum education required
• Experience working in a molecular biology or genetics research laboratory, preferably in a university setting.
• Experience performing routine molecular techniques including at least four of the following: DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, qPCR, genotyping, or sequencing.
• Experience with laboratory operations including ordering supplies, inventory management, safety compliance, and equipment maintenance and experience working with biological samples and maintaining organized records or databases.
• Availability and skills to participate as part of a team in physically demanding fieldwork in equatorial Africa (islands in the Gulf of Guinea, west Africa).
• Demonstrated ability to follow established protocols, maintain accurate, detailed records, and to develop clear documentation/SOPs for newly developed laboratory or database practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work with others in a collegial environment and coordinate efforts of field and lab teams.

• Background in entomology, vector biology, or related sciences.
• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences with coursework in genetics, mathematics, and statistics.
• Experience conducting fieldwork or working in international research settings, particularly in vector biology or entomology.
• Experience working with SQL or other database management systems for data entry, curation, and retrieval.
• Experience supervising or training students or junior staff in a laboratory setting.

• 45% - Laboratory Management
• 45% - Applied Research
• 10% - Training

The Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology is one of six academic departments in the School of Veterinary Medicine. It provides a unique and critical linkage between the basic and clinical sciences. The mission of the department is the effective integration of the disciplines of immunology, microbiology (including bacteriology, parasitology and virology) and pathology (both anatomic and clinical) into the teaching, research, and service programs of the school and campus.

Through this mission, the department promotes the understanding of causes and diagnosis of disease in animals and the mechanisms by which diseases develop at the organismal, cellular and molecular, and, increasingly, genetic levels. The correlated applied (translational) mission is to advance the use of morphologic, microbiologic, biochemical, genetic, and immunologic methods for diagnosis and prevention of disease.

• Salary or Pay Range: $30.12 - $35.93
• Salary Frequency:
  Hourly
• Salary Grade: 107
• UC
  
  Job Title:
  
  SRA 1
• UC Job Code: 009613
• Number of Positions: 1
• Appointment Type:
  Staff:
  Career
• Percentage of Time: 100% Fixed
• Shift (Work Schedule):
  Mon-Fri (8am-5pm)
• Location:
  
  Davis, Ca
• Union Representation: RX-Research Professionals
• Benefits Eligible:
  Yes
• This position is 100% on-site

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