"Research Lab Specialist Assoc"

The Wigginton Lab (PI Krista Wigginton) studies viruses outside of their hosts and work on innovative approaches to detecting, monitoring, and characterizing viruses found in water, air, and on surfaces. The lab probes the mechanisms by which viruses lose their infectivity in both engineered and natural systems and leverage findings from this work to improve non-pharmaceutical interventions aimed at reducing the spread of pathogenic viruses.

We are looking to bring on a full-time research technician (100% time regular staff position; 40hrs/wk) to support different aspects of work in the lab. Work will be conducted at both North (EWRE) and Central (SPH) campuses at the University of Michigan. The primary role of this position will be lab-based, focused on extracting, and concentrating field-collected samples and then running those samples through ddPCR. Duties require molecular lab experience and an ability to work well with others.

Sample processing, method development, virus cultivation, lab management, and lab maintenance (80%): The primary responsibility of this position is to culture bacteriophages and eukaryotic viruses; to quantify organisms in environmental samples with ddPCR, to organize and store received samples. This position requires molecular lab experience. Other duties include performing monthly lab inspections, oversee the cleaning and maintenance of equipment, act as the primary resource for lab safety management, oversee undergraduates in basic lab maintenance tasks and lab safety, and be responsible for ordering research and laboratory supplies and maintaining appropriate databases.

Data management (10%): The applicant will have responsibilities that include data management, conducting quality control on results, uploading results to cloud storage, sharing data with our collaborators at other institutes, and presenting results to the group, and possibly running R scripts for visualization.

Lab meetings & communication of results (10%): Our research team has a weekly lab and project meeting to discuss sample processing and future directions. The applicant will be expected to communicate results of their work to our group, send updates to our community and research partners, perform various computational projects to support research in the lab, and aid in other public outreach efforts.

Bachelor's degree in engineering, epidemiology, chemistry, or biology (broadly defined) with significant wet lab experience, including molecular methods; Willingness to work as part of a team.

Experience working with environmental samples; Experience coding in R.

This is a one (1) year limited position with possibility of renewal. The proposed start date is September 1, 2025, depending on availability. The College of Engineering seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitments to serve the diverse people of Michigan, fulfill the College's Guiding Principles, and sustain the excellence of the University of Michigan. The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.