Assistant Researcher
Position Overview
The Bever Schultz Lab at the Kansas Biological Survey seeks to hire a lab Research Assistant to support research our lab with a focus in the ecology and evolution of plant-microbiome interactions. The Research Assistant will be responsible for working with our international arbuscular mycorrhizal culture (INVAM) collection, assist in establishing greenhouse experiments and being a highly trained member of our field crew where the crew members are weeding and identifying plants in an experiment testing the impacts of plant and soil microbiome changes along gradients of precipitation and land-use and pathogen and AM fungal influence on plant productivity. The Research Assistant will also help manage laboratory measures of plant microbe interactions.
The laboratory assistant must also be skilled at extracting, staining and characterizing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) root colonization, skilled at extracting and collecting AMF spores and mounting them on slides as vouchers.
This position works on-site but telework may be considered per mutual agreement between the department and selected candidate.
The laboratory assistant must also be skilled at extracting, staining and characterizing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) root colonization, skilled at extracting and collecting AMF spores and mounting them on slides as vouchers.
This position works on-site but telework may be considered per mutual agreement between the department and selected candidate.
Job Description
75% - Extraction and Characterizing AMF spores and roots and support in maintaining the International Vesicular Arbuscular Culture Collection (INVAM)
25% - Management of undergraduate crew ensuring adherence to set schedule of tasks to complete experimental goals. Includes support of field work, plant identification, organizing resources for tasks, and training undergrad crew on standard protocols.
25% - Management of undergraduate crew ensuring adherence to set schedule of tasks to complete experimental goals. Includes support of field work, plant identification, organizing resources for tasks, and training undergrad crew on standard protocols.
Position Requirements
This position works on-site but telework may be considered per mutual agreement between the department and selected candidate.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, genetics, biology, botany, ecology, agronomy, range science or related field.
- 6 months of academic or industrial laboratory experience in biology, botany, ecology, agronomy, range science or related field.
- Trained in identification of AMF colonized roots and extraction and collection of AMF spores, as evidenced in application materials.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in the use of Microsoft Office Word and Excel, as evidenced in application materials.
- Experience with bioinformatics, as demonstrated by work history.
- Good written communication skills as demonstrated by application materials.
Additional Candidate Instructions
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
Only complete applications will be considered.
Application review begins Monday, October 7th and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.
#LI-HR1
- Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
- Resume
- List of three (3) professional references
Only complete applications will be considered.
Application review begins Monday, October 7th and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.
#LI-HR1
Contact Information to Applicants
Dr. Terra Lubin - tkachina@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
35,776
Work Schedule
40 hours/week
Application Review Begins
Monday October 7, 2024
Anticipated Start Date
Monday October 28, 2024