Student Assistant

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory•Berkeley, CA

1d•$20 - $52•Onsite

About The Position

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is hiring two Student Assistants in its Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division. The position supports the Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area and CHESS campaign in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, contributing to interdisciplinary research on Earth and environmental systems. Students gain hands-on laboratory research experience and support the team’s scientific mission. The work includes analyzing soil cores for geochemical and physical properties, extracting microbial DNA/RNA, preparing and organizing samples, and maintaining accurate laboratory records and datasets. Student Assistants also support data quality control, basic statistical analysis, and use of AI tools to collect and synthesize scientific literature. This is a part-time student assistant appointment with a projected ending date of May 14, 2027. Renewal may be possible depending on satisfactory performance, funding availability, and operational needs. Work will be performed primarily at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. The position is subject to a background check. Candidates must have permanent work authorization or current U.S. visa status at hire; Berkeley Lab cannot provide visa sponsorship for applicants without a bachelor’s degree.

Requirements

Be a current undergraduate student pursuing coursework in chemistry, biology, geosciences, or a related field.
Be able to follow established laboratory procedures, maintain accurate records, and learn new laboratory techniques.
Be able to follow laboratory safety and emergency response procedures, complete required training for handling hazardous biological, chemical, and environmental materials, and use Safety Data Sheets and appropriate personal protective equipment.
Demonstrate strong attention to detail to prevent cross-contamination and support reproducibility.
Have effective communication and teamwork skills.
Have strong time-management and organizational abilities.
Be able to collaborate effectively with graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and scientists.
Hold permanent work authorization or current visa status in the United States at the time of hire and maintain visa status independently of Berkeley Lab.

Nice To Haves

Prior laboratory experience in biology, chemistry, or geosciences.
Undergraduate coursework and laboratory experience in chemistry, including organic and inorganic chemistry.
Undergraduate coursework and laboratory experience in biology, preferably including microbiology and molecular biology.
Some experience with data curation and analysis using R, Python, or other coding languages.

Responsibilities

Perform basic laboratory procedures, including pipetting, titrations, microscopy, and centrifugation.
Prepare chemical solutions, buffers, and reagents accurately using knowledge of molarity, stoichiometry, chemistry, and biology.
Conduct soil texture and soil hydraulic parameter analyses, including sieving and grinding soils.
Use basic chemistry equipment such as spectrophotometers and pH meters.
Perform molecular biology techniques, including DNA/RNA extraction from soil.
Learn AI methods to organize and synthesize scientific literature.
Follow laboratory safety protocols and applicable emergency response procedures.
Maintain detailed and accurate inventories of samples and soil cores.
Enter, organize, and document laboratory data, including maintaining laboratory notebooks and spreadsheets.
Support data quality control, basic statistical analysis, and preparation of high-quality datasets for team members’ statistical and modeling analyses.
Section and organize samples and maintain accurate laboratory records and datasets.