Undergraduate Research Assistant
Two undergraduate research assistant positions are available in the lab of Dr. Yuan Zeng, Southern Piedmont AREC (Blackstone, Virginia), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to assist USDA-NIFA and commodity board-funded research, which focuses on the metagenomic sequencing of different environmental samples and the development of a spatiotemporal model of fungal pathogens in field crops, including corn, and tobacco.
The selected candidates may also assist in plant disease diagnosis and genomic research.
Job responsibilities will vary but can include the following:
- Biochemistry and molecular biology work such as DNA extraction, PCR, library preparation, nanopore sequencing, etc.
- Data collection, entry, and analysis
- Spore sampler and weather station assembling and deployment in field
- Soil, plant, and spore sampling in field and sample processing
- Communicating the results of experiments to peers, supervisors, and the scientific community
- General cleaning, washing dishes, and preparing supplies for laboratory or field work