Microbiologist Intern, Harrisonburg, Summer 2022

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is seeking a Summer Microbiologist Intern to work in the microbiology laboratories at the Harrisonburg Regional Animal Health Laboratory. Duties include assisting in a wide range of microbiological testing techniques, including the testing of raw milk and related dairy products to detect the presence of harmful bacteria, antibiotic residues and adulterated products, the non-regulatory analysis of milk samples for protein, fats, solids, lactose and other parameters, microbiological testing of water samples, aerobic and anaerobic microbiological culturing, and sensitivity testing of isolates as needed. The intern will also assist in the performance of a variety of serological testing, prepare a wide variety of culture media, and help conduct quality control testing on media and culture practices. The selected student will work collaboratively, as a team member, and assist with other related laboratory procedures as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:
Current enrollment in a microbiology, biology, or a closely related scientific degree program is required. Other qualifications include knowledge of microbiological and laboratory procedures, techniques and methods used to carry out examinations with an emphasis on diagnostic bacteriology; and knowledge of general safety procedures necessary in a clinical laboratory. Exceptional oral/written and customer service skills and the ability to follow oral and written directions with precision and accuracy; to work independently; and to develop logical conclusions and to work collaboratively within a team environment is essential. Testing formats required precision, manual dexterity and visual acuity. School coursework, including laboratory sessions, indicating possession of the preceding knowledge & abilities may substitute.

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working in a veterinary or medical clinical laboratory providing some microbiology duties as well as experience performing customer service duties.

Pay: $13.63/hour

Application Close Date: 3/22/2022

Special Requirements: A cover letter stating why you are interested in this internship as well as a copy of your transcripts and current class schedule are required in order to be considered and should be attached to your state application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Applicants invited to interview will be asked to bring a letter of recommendation from a school official or professor.

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://virginiajobs.peopleadmin.com/postings/271674

Chesapeake Conservation Corps - One Year Paid Positions 2022-2023

Chesapeake Conservation Corps Application Now Open

The Chesapeake Bay Trust anticipates placing 30-35 Corps Members with nonprofit organizations and government agencies throughout Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay to work full-time for a stipend-support year of service ($20,500) from August 16, 2022 to August 15, 2023.

There is an Equity Fellowship opportunity to assist Corps Members with the financial challenge of a stipend year of service in the Corps. The Equity Fellowship provides an additional $5,000 to up to 4 Corps Members who demonstrate financial need and identify with an underserved group including but not limited to the list that is provided in the Application Package. The goal of the Equity Fellowship is to increase access to the Corps allowing more young individuals to make the choice to apply an easier one financially. To learn more about this opportunity click on the “Equity Fellowship Application” panel below.

Corps Member Qualifications: 

1. Corps Members will be age 18 to 25 at the start of the program.
2. Corps Members are a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident alien, or have documentation confirming permission to work in the U.S. during the year-long term of service.

Corps Member Responsibilities

1. Each Corps Member will work full-time (approximately 40 hours a week) at a Host Organization for a period of one year from August 2022 to August 2023.
2. Corps Members will participate in the 6-10 leadership and professional development trainings and three project days provided by the Chesapeake Conservation Corps program within the service year.
3. Corps Members will complete a capstone project with the support of their Host Organization by the end of the service year.
4. Corps Members will complete at least four peer-to-peer site visit days visiting fellow Corps Members and participating in activities at other Host Organizations throughout the service year.

Application deadline: 4 pm on Thursday March 3, 2022.

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://cbtrust.org/chesapeake-conservation-corps/apply/

REU in Planetary Habitability Over Space and Time - Rice University

 The Earth is habitable through feedbacks between biological and geological processes. In this REU we will study questions like:

• What controls the temperature of the Earth?
• What controls nutrient concentrations in forests?
• How does the composition of the deep Earth influence the composition of the atmosphere?
• Why does the Earth have water on the surface?
• How does plate tectonics influence long-term climate?

Our REU program is 10 weeks- May 31 through August 6, 2021

Students will be provided a summer stipend of $600 per week for 10 weeks, as well as a supplement for housing.

Applications will open in early November 2020. The preliminary application deadline is 15 February 2021. The final deadline is 1 March 2021.

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://earthscience.rice.edu/academics/2021-nsf-reu/

REU in Biology with X-ray Free Electron Lasers - Rice University

Rice University is part of an exciting, multi-university collaboration to develop and sustain a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center called BioXFEL (Biology with X-ray Free Electron Lasers). BioXFEL is a consortium established in 2013 of eight U.S. research universities that addresses fundamental questions in biology at the molecular level. Using a recently-invented pulsed hard X-ray laser, our researchers can capture biological molecules in atomic detail, view their functional motions by taking brief snapshots, and observe interactions in their native environment. This opens up a new world to biology, to science, and to human health.

BioXFEL is sponsoring a summer internship program to be held at Rice University. This 10-week internship is designed to incorporate undergraduate students from the surrounding greater Houston area. Special consideration will be given to students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as well as other underrepresented groups. Students will be given the opportunity to engage in scientific research projects involving crystallography, biochemistry, protein chemistry and other XFEL-related topics.

At the end of the 10 weeks, each student has the chance to travel to the XFEL facility at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) in the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford where they may present a poster on their summer project.

Participation in the program includes the following opportunities:

• General and site-specific lab safety training
• Scientific journal club
• Weekly lunch seminars with faculty presentations on various research topics
• Ethics training
• Field trip to the brain lab at Baylor College of Medicine
• Scientific oral and poster presentation practice

Priority Application Deadline: February 15th

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://ibb.rice.edu/research/undergraduate-programs/bioxfel-summer-internship-undergraduates

NSF REU in Multi-Scale Biomolecular Networks - Rice University

The goal of this program is to provide students first-hand experience with cutting-edge interdisciplinary research that is needed to predict biological functions sufficiently to reprogram cells to avoid diseases or to perform new tasks.

This award provides research training for 10 weeks. The focus of this NSF REU program is biological networks, complex interactions among biomolecules that give rise to the diverse biological phenotypes observed in nature. In this summer REU, students will work on research projects under faculty mentors that draw from a range of approaches (classical biochemical and genetic to non-trivial theoretical models that require computation) to study naturally-occurring genetic networks, artificial genetic and metabolic networks, and biomolecular structure, function, and evolution. This program will also provide: a creative opportunity for students to develop innovative biotechnological ideas; leadership, mentorship and social retreats; special seminars and career development workshops; stipend and travel support; on-campus housing; a capstone research poster symposium; and an ethics and responsible conduct of research discussion seminar. Students will be recruited nationwide, with particular emphasis on recruiting women and under-represented minorities, and selection of students will be done based on the faculty steering committee’s evaluation of each applicant’s transcript and recommendation letters. More information on this program can be obtained by contacting Dr. Joff Silberg or ibb@rice.edu.

Priority Deadline: February 15th. 

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://ibb.rice.edu/nsf-reu-bionetworks