Investigating how genes evolve from scratch

This project is closed. No applications are allowed.

The lab of Howard Ochman is seeking a reliable undergraduate research assistant to help with experimental and computational studies on new gene evolution. Please find the announcements below, and direct any questions to kim.hammond@utexas.edu.

In this lab, students will learn a wide range of transferable lab skills, and gain first-hand experience in the scientific research process. Students may have the opportunity for independent research pending interest and performance. Also, students can develop a project for credit, as an independent study or honors project. This is a paid position (work study eligible) or students may opt to work for credit.

Positions can start immediately, 10 or more hours a week during weekdays from 9am-5pm, and applicants should have 2-3 hour blocks of time available in their schedule. Preference will be given to students of sophomore or junior class standing who can work with the lab for at least a year including the summer. This opportunity is ideal for students interested in postgraduate research in biology. We will begin reviewing applications on January 11, 2021.

Qualifications

Applicants need to be meticulous, well organized, and able to keep up-to-date records. Desired, but not required skills include previous working experience in a microbiology lab and basic lab skills (culturing techniques, pipetting, PCR, growth curves). Applicants need to be meticulous, well organized, and able to keep up-to-date records.

For full consideration please send the following to kim.hammond@utexas.edu:
• resume
• schedule of availability
• name & email contact for at least two references
• brief summary of why you are interested in the position
• relevant courses & total GPA

Duties

There is opportunity to work on either possible experimental or computational projects, and the duties would vary in each case.
1. For experimental projects, the duties would involve expressing large libraries of randomly generated sequences in bacterial cells, extracting DNA from the growing culture at defined time points, and sequencing the DNA to see if any sequence show bioactivity or functional potential.

2. For computational projects, the duties would include modifying output from mass spectrometry analysis to make the results compatible with another analysis software. The end goal is joining different extant analysis tools together into one optimized, high-sensitivity pipeline for mass spectrometry data analysis, which would be invaluable for detecting novel gene products.

Students seeking this position should be highly self-motivated and intellectually curious, with a strong interest in biology, molecular techniques and/or computational analysis of high throughput biological data. Experience with sterile technique and attention to details is highly preferred for the experimental project.

Typical Time Commitment
10-12 hours/week
Desired Length of Commitment
Preference will be given to students of sophomore or junior class standing who can work with the lab for at least a year including the summer.

I'M INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?

The Office of Undergraduate Research recommends that you attend an info session or advising before contacting faculty members or project contacts about research opportunities. We'll cover the steps to get involved, tips for contacting faculty, funding possibilities, and options for course credit. Once you have attended an Office of Undergraduate Research info session or spoken to an advisor, you can use the "Who to contact" details for this project to get in touch with the project leader and express your interest in getting involved.

Have you tried contacting professors and need more help? Schedule an appointment for additional support.