Student Technician

Texas A&M • College Station, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Student Technician position at Texas A&M Agrilife Research, within the Institute for Advancing Health through Agriculture-Project Management, involves preparing plant samples for mass spectrometry (LC/MC, GC/MS, HPLC, ICP-MS) through digestion methods, including homogenizing and weighing. The role offers opportunities to learn basic analytical instrument usage, software, and data interpretation. Additionally, the student will prepare samples for DNA and RNA isolation for molecular biology techniques such as PCR and quantitative real-time PCR, with exposure to DNA sequence alignment software for data analysis. Responsibilities also include plant propagation, growth, maintenance, and trait measurement for statistical analysis, as well as general lab support such as washing and sterilizing glassware, maintaining supplies, and preparing solutions and media. Students will be guided by senior researchers and invited to participate in lab meetings to gain exposure to scientific discussions, research project planning, and results reporting. Work and study space will be provided in the Borlaug building on the Texas A&M campus. This is a security-sensitive position requiring a criminal history investigation.

Requirements

• Life Science Major, Freshman or Sophomore preferred
• Completed freshman biology or chemistry
• Organized and efficient
• Willing to work up to 20 hours per week, 2-4 days per week including summer.

Nice To Haves

• Previous lab experience a plus but not required.
• Understanding basic chemistry, sterile technique, and general genetics will be a useful in this position.

Responsibilities

• Prepares plant sample using digestion methods for mass spectrometry such as LC/MC, GC/MS, HPLC, ICP-MS, including homogenizing and weighing samples.
• Prepares samples for DNA and RNA isolation for basic molecular biology including PCR and quantitative real-time PCR.
• Participates in plant propagation, plant growth, maintaining plants, and measuring plant traits for downstream statistical analyses.
• Washes glassware and instruments, sterilizing glassware and other lab materials in autoclaves, maintaining lab supplies, prepare solutions and media.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees