Undergraduate Student Employees

Environmental DNA (eDNA)

˛Ń˛ąľ±˛Ô±đ-±đ¶Ů±·´ˇĚý

Full-time, starting May 2023

Overview: The Maine-eDNA program is seeking undergraduate students to join our team, a state-wide, multi-institutional initiative establishing Maine as a national leader in environmental monitoring, ecological understanding, and sustainability of coastal ecosystems (). Students will have the opportunity to participate through internship experiences in a range of research projects including fieldwork (for example, eDNA sampling at freshwater and marine sites), laboratory work and/or work in other STEM fields. As part of the Maine-eDNA team, undergraduate employees will gain hands-on research experience and can participate in additional professional development opportunities. These positions are full-time (up to 40 hours per week; $13.80/hr or higher) during May through August, with the option to continue working part-time during the academic year. 

Job Description: Undergraduate employees will contribute to the Maine-eDNA project by participating in research internships in one of five regions in the state (Casco Bay – with University of New England and University of Southern Maine; Damariscotta – with Darling Marine Center and Bigelow Laboratory; Penobscot – with 91±¬ÁĎ Orono; Downeast – with 91±¬ÁĎ Machias; and Hurricane Island). Within each region, undergraduate employees will be matched with a research team and participate in one or more of a variety of projects.  These projects include:

Index Site Sampling – an ongoing uniform water sampling and metadata collection project conducted at established freshwater, estuarine, and/or marine sampling sites (i.e., Index Sites). In this project, undergraduates will be involved in preparing for Index Site sample collection, working in the field to collect water samples and environmental measurements at Index Sites, processing samples back at the laboratory using standard protocols, and entering Index Site metadata into a database. 

eDNA Projects – students will have the opportunity to work with teams focused on a range of eDNA focused research.  To date, interns have been involved in a wide range of studies applying the tools of eDNA to examine marine and freshwater organisms such as fish, sharks, mammals, lobster, crabs, scallops, sea slugs, other invertebrates, plants, algae and fungi. 

STEM projects – opportunities will be available in eDNA aligned STEM fields that include experiences with a broad range of scientific research projects.

In all projects, undergraduate students will work in a team setting and closely with research project team lead(s), graduate students, other undergraduates and/or related research scientists.

Financial support for housing or transportation can be provided to enable participation. 

Qualifications: Successful candidates will be motivated students interested in scientific research in freshwater or marine environments and an interest in using molecular eDNA tools in environmental or ecological research. Ideally, students should have demonstrated experience in working independently in a research laboratory, ability to conduct scientific research in a careful manner, and interest in conducting field work but we will also consider candidates with evidence of potential to develop regardless of prior experience. Although not required, students with experience in laboratory analytical chemistry, molecular methods, computational science, or bioinformatics is a plus. Applicants should have a willingness to work in uncomfortable conditions, outside of the hours of a typical business day and have the ability to lift at least 25 pounds. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a university or college. Students who will graduate with their Bachelor’s degree in spring 2023 (or have graduated prior to this) are not eligible. Applicants must be a Maine resident or, if not a Maine resident, attending a university or college in Maine. Successful applicants should ideally have a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record, but in some cases projects may be virtual or hybrid in nature and thus can be conducted remotely and/or by using public transport.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To apply, please send the following application materials to Maine EPSCoR at maine.epscor@maine.edu: (1) Cover letter explaining interest, qualifications for this position and work location preference (Casco – with University of New England and University of Southern Maine; Damariscotta – with Darling Marine Center and Bigelow Laboratory; Penobscot – with 91±¬ÁĎ Orono; Downeast – with 91±¬ÁĎ Machias; and Hurricane Island), and statement about housing need, (2) current resume or CV, (3) a copy of unofficial academic transcript, and (4) a list of the names and contact information of three references of anyone familiar with your work performance including teachers. Applications are being accepted immediately until positions are filled. We anticipate making decisions about successful candidates by March 31, 2023, with a start date in early to mid-May.

Please share this opportunity with your local institution, as this is open to all undergraduate students (enrolled at least half time) in Maine, regardless of their institution. Applicants must either be enrolled in a Maine college program or be a resident of Maine. 

The post Maine-eDNA Undergraduate Student Employment Opportunity appeared first on Maine-eDNA.

Undergraduate Student Employees

Environmental DNA (eDNA)

Maine-eDNA Index Sites

Full-time, starting May 2022

Overview: Environmental DNA (eDNA) is like a genetic fingerprint of a freshwater or marine ecosystem. We are seeking undergraduate student employees to join the Maine-eDNA team, a state-wide, multi-institutional initiative establishing Maine as a national leader in environmental monitoring, ecological understanding, and sustainability of coastal ecosystems (/edna/). The primary responsibility of the undergraduate employees will be to conduct field sampling at freshwater and marine sites, providing the opportunity for students to learn about field work as well as molecular genetics. As part of the Maine-eDNA team, undergraduate employees will gain hands-on research experience and other professional skills to advance their careers. These positions are full-time (40 hours per week $12.90/hr except in Portland which is $13.00/hr) during May through August, with the option to continue working part-time during the academic year. We are considering all candidates for full-time positions in the summer months, with a preference for candidates who will continue working part-time on Index Site sampling during the fall and winter.

Job Description: Undergraduate employees will contribute to a major objective of the Maine-eDNA project by participating in Index Site sampling in one of five regions in the state (Casco – with University of New England and University of Southern Maine; Damariscotta – with Darling Marine Center and Bigelow Laboratory; Penobscot – with 91±¬ÁĎ Orono; Downeast – with 91±¬ÁĎ Machias; and Hurricane Island). Within each region, undergraduate employees will work in small teams to conduct uniform sampling and metadata collection at established freshwater, estuarine, and/or marine sampling sites (i.e., Index Sites). The undergraduates will be involved in preparing for Index Site sample collection, working in the field to collect water samples and environmental measurements at Index Sites, processing samples back at the laboratory using standard protocols, and entering Index Site metadata into a database. Index Sites will be sampled once a month from May to October and then twice during the winter months (Dec-March). Index Site sampling is expected to be the employees’ top priority during the student employee, occupying about 50% of the employees’ time on the project during May-August and up 100% of their time on the project in September, October, and winter. When not working on Index Site sampling activities, employees will participate in other aspects of the Maine-eDNA project as defined by their supervisor. In addition to being supervised by the Index Site sampling team lead(s) in each region, each employee will be assigned a graduate student and/or research scientist supervisor as overseen by senior personnel.

Qualifications: Successful candidates will be motivated students interested in scientific research in freshwater or marine environments, with strong academic track record in coursework related to Maine-eDNA objectives, and an interest in using molecular eDNA tools in environmental or ecological research. Students should have demonstrated experience in working independently in a research laboratory, ability to conduct scientific research in a careful manner, and interest in conducting field work. Although not required, students with experience in laboratory analytical chemistry, molecular methods, computational science, or bioinformatics is a plus. Applicants should have a willingness to work in uncomfortable conditions, outside of the hours of a typical business day and have the ability to lift at least 25 pounds. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a university or college. Students who will graduate with their Bachelor’s degree in spring 2022 (or have graduated prior to this) are not eligible. Applicants must be a Maine resident or, if not a Maine resident, attending a university or college in Maine. Successful applicants should ideally have a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To apply, please send the following application materials to Maine EPSCoR at maine.epscor@maine.edu: (1) Cover letter explaining interest, qualifications for this position and work location preference (Casco – with University of New England and University of Southern Maine; Damariscotta – with Darling Marine Center and Bigelow Laboratory; Penobscot – with 91±¬ÁĎ Orono; Downeast – with 91±¬ÁĎ Machias; and Hurricane Island), (2) current resume or CV, (3) a copy of unofficial academic transcript, and (4) a list of the names and contact information of three references of anyone familiar with your work performance including teachers. Applications are being accepted immediately until positions are filled. We anticipate making decisions about successful candidates by March 31, 2022, with a start date in early to mid-May.

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your local institution, as this is open to all undergraduate students (enrolled at least half time) in Maine, regardless of their institution. Applicants must either be enrolled in a Maine college program or be a resident of Maine.

The post appeared first on Maine-eDNA.

We are seeking an undergraduate student employee to join the Maine-eDNA team, a large NSF EPSCoR funded project (/edna/). One goal of the project is to build an integrated data repository of environmental DNA (eDNA), which is DNA obtained from fresh and marine water samples and subjected to high throughput sequencing.

As part of the Maine-eDNA team, undergraduate employees will gain hands-on research experience and other professional skills to advance their careers. The student will work with 91±¬ÁĎ Coordinated Operating Research Entities (CORE) environmental DNA (eDNA) Laboratory and the eDNA Data Management Team to facilitate parsing sequencing metadata files for subsequent upload to the Maine-eDNA deployment of MyTardis (, ).

MyTardis is a multi-user data management web application built on the Django web framework for scientific instruments. The student will contribute to an Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) pipeline of DNA sequencing results to ingest into MyTardis.

The student will contribute to the existing data parser () to extract and post outputs from an Illumina MiSeq Sequencer to MyTardis via an Application Programming Interface (). Additional parsing tasks may also be adapted from the MyTardis NGS Ingestor (). The student will work closely with the eDNA Data Management team to assess needs and create a Graphic User Interface (e.g., ) for the parser.

The applicant should have a desire to learn and work through problems. Coding will be required and there will be an end of project technical report and presentation open to eDNA colleagues.

The position is full-time (40 hours per week at $12.30 per hour) during May through August, with the option to continue working part-time during the academic year.

Required

• Programming experience (Python)

Desired

• Familiarity with GitHub and collaborative coding practices (branch, pull, push, etc)
• Familiarity with Databases with respect to web application design
• Familiarity with Linux environments (CentOS, Ubuntu)

The post Seeking CS Undergrad for Employment with Maine-eDNA appeared first on Maine-eDNA.

We are seeking an undergraduate student employee to join the Maine-eDNA team, a large NSF EPSCoR funded project (/edna/). One goal of the project is to build an integrated data repository of environmental DNA (eDNA), which is DNA obtained from fresh and marine water samples and subjected to high throughput sequencing. eDNA samples need to be stored at very low (-80C) temperatures in special freezers. Given the growing repository of stored samples we are seeking a creative student with proficient coding skills to help with design and creation of a Freezer Mapping application that will support fast and accurate location, management and retrieval of samples.

Freezer Mapping Project (This project can be done remotely)

Junior~Senior CS/New Media

As part of the Maine-eDNA team, the student will gain hands-on research experience and other professional skills to advance their career. The student will work with the 91±¬ÁĎ Coordinated Operating Research Entities (CORE) environmental DNA (eDNA) Laboratory and the eDNA Data Management Team to facilitate the development of a web application for the management and tracking of eDNA samples.

The 91±¬ÁĎ eDNA laboratory offers Next-Generation Sequencing, Digital Droplet PCR, and quantitative PCR. As these samples need to be stored within -80°C lab freezers to the preserve the DNA, fast and efficient tracking of sample attributes such as each sample’s remaining eDNA volume and location in the freezer is vital. The student will work closely with the eDNA laboratory to assess needs and produce a database web application built in the .

The applicant should have a desire to learn and work through problems. Coding will be required and there will be an end of project technical report and presentation open to eDNA colleagues.

The position is full-time (40 hours per week at $12.30 per hour) during May through August, with the option to continue working part-time during the academic year.

Required

• Programming experience (Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS)
• Familiarity with GitHub and collaborative coding practices
• Familiarity with Databases with respect to web application design
• Familiarity with Linux environments (CentOS, Ubuntu)

Desired

• Familiarity with Django Framework

Applicants must be a Maine resident or, if not a Maine resident, attending a university or college in Maine.

To apply, please send the following application materials to Maine EPSCoR at maine.epscor@maine.edu: (1) Cover letter explaining interest and qualifications for this position, (2) current resume or CV, (3) a copy of unofficial academic transcript, and (4) a list of the names and contact information of three references of anyone familiar with your work performance including teachers. Applications are being accepted immediately until positions are filled.

The post Seeking CS or New Media Undergrad for Employment with Maine-eDNA appeared first on Maine-eDNA.

Environmental DNA (eDNA)

Maine-eDNA Index Sites

Full-time, starting May 2021

Overview: Environmental DNA (eDNA) is like a genetic fingerprint of a freshwater or marine ecosystem. We are seeking undergraduate student employees to join the Maine-eDNA team, a state-wide, multi-institutional initiative establishing Maine as a national leader in environmental monitoring, ecological understanding, and sustainability of coastal ecosystems (/edna/). The primary responsibility of the undergraduate employees will be to conduct field sampling at freshwater and marine sites, providing the opportunity for students to learn about field work as well as molecular genetics. As part of the Maine-eDNA team, undergraduate employees will gain hands-on research experience and other professional skills to advance their careers. These positions are full-time (40 hours per week at $12.30 per hour) during May through August, with the option to continue working part-time during the academic year. We are considering all candidates for full-time positions in the summer months, with a preference for candidates who will continue working part-time on Index Site sampling during the fall and winter.

Job Description: Undergraduate employees will contribute to a major objective of the Maine-eDNA project by participating in Index Site sampling in one of four regions in the state (Casco, Damariscotta, Penobscot, and Downeast). Within each region, undergraduate employees will work in small teams to conduct uniform sampling and metadata collection at established freshwater, estuarine, and/or marine sampling sites (i.e., Index Sites). The undergraduates will be involved in preparing for Index Site sample collection, working in the field to collect water samples and environmental measurements at Index Sites, processing samples back at the laboratory using standard protocols, and entering Index Site metadata into a database. Index Sites will be sampled once a month from May to October and then twice during the winter months (Dec-March). Index Site sampling is expected to be the employees’ top priority during the student employee, occupying about 50% of the employees’ time on the project during May-August and up 100% of their time on the project in September, October, and winter. When not working on Index Site sampling activities, employees will participate in other aspects of the Maine-eDNA project as defined by their supervisor. In addition to being supervised by the Index Site sampling team lead(s) in each region, each employee will be assigned a graduate student (or research technician) supervisor as overseen by senior personnel.

Qualifications: Successful candidates will be motivated students interested in scientific research in freshwater or marine environments, with strong academic track record in course work related to Maine-eDNA objectives, and an interest in using molecular eDNA tools in environmental or ecological research. Students should have demonstrated experience in working independently in a research laboratory, ability to conduct scientific research in a careful manor, and interest in conducting field work. Although not required, students with experience in laboratory analytical chemistry, molecular methods, computational science, or bioinformatics is a plus. Applicants should have a willingness to work in cold, uncomfortable conditions, outside of the hours of a typical business day and have the ability to lift at least 25 pounds. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a university or college. Students who will graduate with their Bachelor’s degree in spring 2021 (or have graduated prior to this) are not eligible. Applicants must be a Maine resident or, if not a Maine resident, attending a university or college in Maine. Successful applicants are required to have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To apply, please send the following application materials to Maine EPSCoR at maine.epscor@maine.edu: (1) Cover letter explaining interest and qualifications for this position, (2) current resume or CV, (3) a copy of unofficial academic transcript, and (4) a list of the names and contact information of three references of anyone familiar with your work performance including teachers. Applications are being accepted immediately until positions are filled. We anticipate making decisions about successful candidates by March 31, 2021, with a start date in early to mid-May.

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your local institution, as this is open to all undergraduate students (enrolled at least half time) in Maine, regardless of their institution. Applicants must either be enrolled in a Maine college program or be a resident of Maine. 

The post Undergraduate Employment Opportunity (Maine-eDNA) appeared first on Maine-eDNA.