Part-time Research Assistant

Remote / Hybrid Work

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

The Soilborne Disease Ecology Lab within the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology seeks an undergraduate or recent grad to join our vibrant research group at Pennsylvania State University. The candidate will assist in various soilborne disease projects in the lab, greenhouse, and field. Our research focuses on microbial ecology and microbiome research. Examples of topics include fungal/oomycete endophyte community dynamics, disease diagnostics of potato, maize, grapevine, strawberry and dispersal of soilborne pathogens across ecological scales.

The candidate should: possess the ability to follow safety and research protocols, be willing to learn how to make buffers and lab solutions, conduct molecular lab tasks such as DNA extractions and run PCRs/qPCRs, process incoming soil and plant samples, and collect field samples together with Crandall lab members. Candidates should also be able to effectively communicate with supervisors and have the ability to perform independent tasks.

A plus would be direct experience working with plants, soil, and microbial culturing. This position may require the ability to lift around 50 pounds of weight with or without accommodation.

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. This position requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver's license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks.

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The ASR is available for review here.

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