FIELD and LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

-- University of Nebraska–Lincoln –
for a project examining the potential ecological effects of the escape of a
transgene for virus resistance from cultivated squash into wild squash
populations.

This project, recently funded by the USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment
Program, will involve surveying wild squash populations for virus
infection and the presence of transgenes derived from transgenic
cultivated squash, experiments to quantify factors controlling the
dynamics of wild squash populations (including the effect of virus
infection), and the development of stochastic demographic models to
evaluate the potential effect of transgenic virus resistance on the
dynamics of wild squash populations.

The technician’s duties will include using PCR and RT-PCR to detect
transgenic resistance to viral infection and identify virus-infected
plants, general lab maintenance, data entry, and database management.
During the field season (~4 months each year) the technician will work
under the supervision of a graduate student at a field site in Mississippi
(housing provided) establishing field experiments and collecting field
data.

Previous experience using plant molecular techniques is preferred and a
willingness to do field work and travel in the summer required. This
would be an excellent job for a recent college graduate interested in
graduate school in a couple of years. Excellent benefits including health
insurance and staff/dependent scholarship program. We will begin
screening applications on 10/10/2005. To apply send letter of interest,
CV, and names of three references to Dr. Diana Pilson at School of
Biological Sciences, 348 Manter Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE
68588-0118. Applications must also be completed online through the
University’s employment site: http://employment.unl.edu. If you require
an accommodation, please call (402) 472-2120. UNL is an equal opportunity
employer, and encourages applications from women and minorities.