Junior Specialist​/Emerson lab

Position Overview

We seek to hire a Junior Specialist to conduct research in viral (mostly bacteriophage) communities within the healthy human microbiome, using molecular biology equipment and techniques, as well as bioinformatics, as part of a project focused on characterizing viral roles in human-associated microbial ecosystems.

Salary range: $55,000 (Step
1) or $58,600 (Step
2).

Open date: May 20, 2026
Final date: July 15, 2026

• Research (90%)
  
  • Assist the PI by performing viral particle purification and nucleic acid extractions of viral and other microbial communities from healthy human biosamples (mostly human gut, some urine, saliva)
  
  • Obtain and maintain ~10‑20 viruses and their hosts from existing culture collections to generate and test viral spike‑in standards for absolute quantification of viral abundances in viromes
  
  • Perform other laboratory procedures related to human and/or soil viral ecology, including microscopy, cultivation, and microfluidics
  
  • Maintain a well‑organized lab notebook detailing procedures, results, and sample IDs, and share updates with the PI during regular meetings
  
  • Adhere to laboratory safety standards, SOPs, and safety guidelines for all laboratory work, especially for processing healthy human biosamples under a chemical fume hood
  
  • Assist in retrieving human biosamples from collaborators at the UC Davis Medical School in Sacramento, CA
  
  • Assist with bioinformatics data processing and analysis of sequencing and other omic data using the HPC cluster and the R programming language
  • Assist in manuscript preparation (preparing tables/figures, statistical analysis, writing sections, revising manuscripts)
  
  • Participate in shared tasks required for running a safe research laboratory, such as eyewash checks and fire extinguisher checks
  
  • Act as a logistical liaison to the NIH Human Virome Project Consortium team
  • Collaborate with other members of the Emerson group and external collaborators at UC Davis, University of Colorado at Boulder, and other institutions
• Professional Competence (5%)
  
  • Participate in weekly lab meetings, attend weekly seminars in the Department of Plant Pathology and other relevant campus programs
  
  • Read scientific literature to assist with experimental design and interpretation
• University and Public Service (5%)
  
  • Serve on one or more departmental committees as suggested by department administration
  
  • Provide occasional research updates at public events held by UC Cooperative Extension

• Basic qualifications
  
  Minimum requirements:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genomics, or a related field
• Preferred qualifications
  Research lab experience with DNA extractions, bioinformatics research experience in viral (bacteriophage) community ecology and/or phage‑host dynamics and/or microbiomes, DNA and RNA extraction from microorganisms, HPC experience, and programming experience in R

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Davis, CA