As part of a recently NSF-funded project examining feedbacks between social insect nests, soil microbiomes and soil organic carbon at local and regional scales, we are seeking a senior lab technician/lab manager. The successful candidate will be part of a collaborative team with members from the University of Central Florida, the University of Texas at Tyler and Yale University.
The Senior Lab Technician will be based at the University of Texas at Tyler and in the molecular ecology laboratory of Dr. Jon Seal and Dr. Katrin Kellner (http://www.antsymbiosis.com/). The candidate will also interact with Dr Matthew Greenwold who leads a bioinformatics and genomics laboratory at UT Tyler. The position is full time and benefits eligible. There will be a maximum of four years of funding, depending on annual reviews. In addition to the core project, the candidate will also have the opportunity to interact with other ongoing research projects that examine ant-fungal-bacterial interactions in North American Trachymyrmex ants, projects currently funded by NSF ((IOS-1552822). Other ongoing projects include thermal ecology of North American Trachymyrmex ants and population and microbial ecology of the threatened Comanche Harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex comanche. It is anticipated that this position would mostly benefit individuals with a BS or MS and who are considering to eventually pursue a PhD in the Biological Sciences or a related field. There will be plenty of opportunities for publishing, professional development and networking.
Major Responsibilities. The lab technician will oversee laboratory operations, along with the PIs, assist with field experiments, data collection and data management, the collection of ant colonies from field sites and the maintenance of colonies in the laboratory. Highly desirable skills would be some familiarity with population genetics and bioinformatics, among other wet lab techniques. The candidate will be expected to work in rigorous field conditions (seasonally, hot and humid weather) and spend time in remote field locations (northern Florida) with other team members from UT Tyler and the collaborating institutions.
Qualifications: BS or MS in biology, entomology or related field, preferably with experience and/or interest in insects, molecular and microbial ecology, microbiology, mycology, experimentation and bioinformatics.
Start Date: Preferably early January 2024 but negotiable. Appointment would be for one year initially, which may be annually renewed for up to three additional years.
Application Deadline: Please send letter of interest and CV to Jon Seal and Katrin Kellner, University of Texas at Tyler (jseal@uttyler.edu and kkellner@uttyler.edu)
