Lab Assistant 1 - Sharbrough Lab

University of California - Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Santa Barbara's Sharbrough Lab is seeking a Lab Assistant I to support operations, manage inventory, and assist with a research project on polyploidy and oxidative damage in plants. The role involves field sampling, data management, and helping prepare samples for sequencing.

The position emphasizes teamwork, experience in labs, and strong communication. Candidates should have a high school diploma or GED and some science coursework or lab exposure.

Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or GED with one year of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in sciences; and knowledge and abilities to perform duties.
• Preference for knowledge of R programming language and lab techniques.
• Ability to pipet small volumes accurately and read scientific literature.
• Experience with plant/leaf physiology and evolutionary analyses.

Responsibilities

• 50%: Support and maintain lab operations; track inventory, develop SOPs, train members, maintain germplasm stocks and website.
• 25%: Design and carry out a research project; implement lab- and field-based experiments, analyze data, prepare write-ups.
• 25%: Assist other lab members with projects; process sequencing data, troubleshoot protocols, collect data.

Skills

Undergraduate research experience

Resourcefulness

Good communication skills

R programming

Pipetting

Reading scientific literature

Evolutionary analyses

Plant physiology

Education

High school diploma or GED with lab experience; or two years of college with science courses

Job description

Department Marketing Statement

In the Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology we study how living organisms interact with their environments and with each other, shaping and being shaped by the world around them. Our research interests span biological scales from the physiology and morphology of the individual, to the behavior of groups, to the functioning of ecosystems. We examine how organisms function in their present environments, how they have been shaped by their evolutionary past, and how they may adapt to a changing world. By addressing basic scientific questions, we lay the foundational knowledge for addressing some of the world's most pressing environmental issues. We're fortunate to be based directly on the California coast, allowing us to conduct research and teach in a myriad of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments including the oceanic and coastal Pacific, estuarine, subtidal and intertidal marine coastal ecosystems, and mountain, chaparral, oak woodland, desert, island, and coastal terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Brief Summary of Job Duties

The Lab Assistant I in the Sharbrough Lab will be responsible for inventory management to maintain all Sharbrough Lab operations, will work with Dr. Sharbrough to design and carry out a research experiment focused on the role of polyploidy in contributing to oxidative damage under stressful conditions, and will work collaboratively with other Sharbrough Lab members to support their individual research projects. The Lab Assistant I will be particularly responsible for helping setup field sampling and experiments at the Jug Handle Ecological Staircase and the Sedgewick UC Reserve, respectively. In addition, the Lab Assistant I will keep Sharbrough Lab website materials up-to-date, will assist Dr. Sharbrough in data management and care, and will operate standardized processes in the lab (e.g., DNA sequence processing). Finally, Lab Assistant I will organize, index, and advise upon available germplasm (i.e., plant accessions) in the lab and organize all genomic/transcriptomic data collected from all lineages/accessions.

Required Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and one year of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in the natural, physical or social sciences; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Less than 1 year Experience working as an undergraduate research assistant in a lab in the ecological or evolutionary biological sciences
• Resourcefulness
• Good communication skills
• Knowledge of R programming language
• Ability to pipet small volumes of liquid accurately
• Ability to read and understand scientific literature
• Capable of performing evolutionary analyses
• Experience in measures of plant/leaf physiology

Special Conditions of Employment

• Satisfactory criminal history background check
• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Job Functions and Percentages of Time

• 50% Support and maintain Sharbrough Lab Operations - Track lab inventory, identify key bottlenecks in our processes, develop SOPs for all lab protocols, help train new members of the lab, maintain/improve lab germplasm stocks, maintain/improve Sharbrough Lab website.
• 25% Design and carry out research project - Design and implement a lab- & field-based experiment in collaboration with Dr. Sharbrough to test whether ploidy increases energetic capacity and oxidative damage in plants, analyze data, write-up results for publication.
• 25% Support other Sharbrough Lab members with their projects - Obtain and process DNA/RNA sequencing data, help send DNA/RNA off for sequencing, help troubleshoot new techniques/protocols, help carry out data collection, etc.

UC Vaccination Programs Policy

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccinations Programs.

As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals* must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up-to-Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt-Out Program no later than the Compliance Date (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.). Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information, please visit University of California Policy on Vaccinations - https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/VaccinationProgramsPolicy

*Covered Individuals: A Covered Individual includes anyone designated as Personnel or Students under this Policy who physically access a University Facility or Program in connection with their employment, appointment, or education/training. A person accessing a Healthcare Location as a patient, or an art, athletics, entertainment, or other publicly accessible venue at a Location as a member of the public, is not a Covered Individual.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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 other protected status under state or federal law.

Reasonable Accommodations

The University of California endeavors to make https://jobs.ucsb.edu accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Katherine Abad in Human Resources at 805-893-4664 or email [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Privacy Notification Statement

Privacy Notification Statement and Notice of Availability of the UCSB Annual Security and Fire Safety Report Disclosures

Pay Rate/Range

The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $27.04/hour to $27.58/hour. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience; the budget for the position; and the application of fair, equitable, and consistent pay practices at the University. The full salary range for this position is $27.04/hour to $32.31/hour.

Work Location

Bio II Room 1166

Working Days and Hours

Mon-Fri, 8:00am-5:00pm

Benefits Eligibility

Full Benefits

Benefits of Belonging

Working at UC means being part of this vibrant institution that shines a light on what is possible. People make UC great, and UC recognizes your contributions by making this a great place to work. Excellent retirement and health are just one of the rewards. Learn more about the benefits of working at UC