Laboratory Assistant II

Performs moderately complex technical support, general lab maintenance, and lab operational support with some degree of independence to aid in research projects. Department: Biology.

Responsibilities

Prepares basic to moderately complex media, cultures, formulas, or specimens according to established protocols and procedures under limited supervision; Performs basic to moderately complex data collection to support laboratory research; Inspects, prepares, cleans and maintains equipment, supplies and facility spaces according to established protocols and standards; Tracks supply and equipment inventory levels, places replenishment orders, and maintains funding information; May support scheduling and screening of participants and/or document and monitor results for human subject research; Provide laboratory and field support to Dr. Jason Taylor's Freshwater Ecology Research Lab; Assist other lab researchers (postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students) in setting up methods for measuring gas fluxes related to carbon and nitrogen cycling pathways in lakes and streams; Run routine water quality analyses in the lab; Conduct fieldwork and collect water samples in and around freshwater environments, including lakes, rivers, and wetlands; Water and biological sampling from natural lakes, rivers and wetlands, and experimental outdoor mesocosms; Assists in the set-up, maintenance, and sampling of large-scale outdoor mesocosm experiments; Calibrates, deploys, and downloads environmental sensors at field and experimental sites; Analyzes water samples for dissolved and total nutrient concentrations using a SEAL nutrient autoanalyzer; Analyzes water samples for dissolved gas concentrations using a Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometer (MIMS); Analyzes water samples for chlorophyll a using a Pulsed-Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorometer; Processes gas samples for dissolved CO2, CH4, and N2O concentrations using the headspace-equilibrium method; Assists with field GHG flux measurements using a Licor Smart Chamber and Analyzers

Requirements

High School education (required); Relevant experience of 4 years (required); Proficiency in making reagents and other basic laboratory tasks (required)

Nice to have

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, or a related science discipline; Submission of a resume and cover letter