Undergraduate Research Assistant - Sengupta Lab

Georgia College & State University (GCSU) is the state's designated public liberal arts university, where students learn the essential skills to compete in a fast-paced and technology-driven global society. The university prepares students for successful careers, leadership in communities, problem solving and life-long learning through personalized attention in a residential setting with opportunities for a variety of transformational experiences through its award-winning, high-impact practices. One of only three selective universities within the University System of Georgia and a top 10 ranked public university in the Southeast, GCSU offers undergraduate degrees in more than 40 majors, more than 30 graduate programs, doctorates in education and nursing, professional certificates, and continuing education programs.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant will conduct hands-on RNA biology research utilizing advanced experimental techniques including cell culture, next-generation sequencing, and computational data analysis. This NSF-funded position is contingent on availability of extramural grant funding.

Research - 60
Will strategize, design, and implement research experiments under the guidance of faculty mentor. Will document research consistently in a lab notebook and will conduct analysis and visualization of data.
Will optimize existing techniques and develop new assays as necessary.
Will conduct replicate experiments for rigorous statistical analysis.
Will attend lab meetings regularly and present data in a clear and cohesive manner to other meeting attendees.
Will guide junior undergraduates as advised by faculty mentor.
Will engage in scientific outreach activities.
Will assist with recruitment efforts for future research assistants.

Scientific Communication and Writing - 30
Will write high-quality scientific manuscripts for publications in research journals.
Will attend scientific conferences and present in wither poster or oral format.
Will communicate to general audiences as part of outreach efforts.

Assisting with laboratory maintenance and operations - 10
Will maintain smooth laboratory operations by checking and maintaining laboratory equipment.
Will assist with laboratory setup as guided by the faculty mentor.
Will ensure that critical laboratory reagents and materials are in stock.

Educational Requirements
High School diploma
Currently enrolled as a B.S. Biology major at GCSU

Other Required Qualifications
Enrolled at Georgia College & State University

Required Experience
At least 0.5-1 year of hands-on research experience in RNA biology.
Experience in the following molecular biology techniques:
' RNA extraction and quantitation
' cDNA synthesis
' PCR
' Tissue culture using human cell lines
' RNA structural analysis using Shapemapper software
' Next-generation sequencing library preparation and quality control.

Additional Preferred Qualifications
Intends to pursue a career in research and/or medicine. Taken other coursework towards this direction.

Preferred Educational Qualifications
Taken BIOL4235 Molecular BioTechniques

Preferred Experience
Familiarity with high-performance computing
Molecular Cloning
Demonstrated use of SnapGene
Use of Illumina sequencing platform

ABILITIES
N/A

KNOWLEDGE
Lab safety rules and best practices

SKILLS
Need to be able to effectively use a phone and computer

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Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

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