Senior Marine Invertebrate Research Associate - 140290

Under general supervision, assist in field sampling of marine invertebrates, sorting identifying, photography, subsampling and vouchering for Museums. Perform DNA extraction from a wide range of preserved and frozen marine invertebrate tissues. Amplify 'barcode' regions of DNA using PCR for these invertebrates as well as algae extractions provided from other laboratories. Prepare products for DNA barcoding using Sanger or alternative methods of sequencing (MinIon, Illumina) and troubleshoot technical issues to ensure high-quality results. Evaluate DNA sequence data, assess sequence identity, and assemble sequences using Geneious software. Submit barcode sequences to BOLD (with specimen images) and GenBankPerform. Perform species delimitation analyses to guide choice of genome skimming targets. For next-generation sequencing (NGS) genome skimming, assess DNA quantity and amplify extractions (Genomiphi) if needed. Analyze genome skimming data for assembling mitochondrial genomes with annotation and nuclear loci such as 18S rRNA. Submit to GenBank and deal with troubleshooting issues to ensure verified status of mitogenomes. Contribute to data interpretation for phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, distribution maps, organize sequences, and maintain comprehensive tracking systems and databases. Provide regular updates and summaries of results for monthly reporting meetings. Coordinate with Museum collections on taxonomy and names of sequences and update databases as needed. Provide guidance and training to other research associates.

• Bachelor's degree in natural sciences such as Biology, Marine Biology, Oceanography or a comparable discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Master's degree preferred.

• Knowledge of marine invertebrate diversity and taxonomy. Ability to collect, sort photograph and process intertidal specimens for DNA and vouchering to Museums.

• Theoretical knowledge and practice in phylogenetic analysis of sequence data.

• Proficiency in DNA extraction from a variety of tissue types and assessment of sample quality.

• Experience in DNA quantification and analysis for sequencing readiness.

• Experience in PCR method and PCR products for various methods of DNA barcode sequencing.

• Experience in DNA barcode sequence assembly and analysis using Geneious or similar bioinformatics software and uploading to BOLD and GenBank.

• Experience in checking sequences using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and other bioinformatic tools, with independent interpretation of results.

• Experience in species delimitation, construction of haplotype networks and making maps in R

• Sound theoretical knowledge and practice in next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis pipelines, particularly mitochondrial genome assembly and annotation.

• Ability to troubleshoot next-generation sequencing (NGS) data.

• Experience in uploading to GenBank and obtaining verified status for organelle genomes

• Assist in training other research associates in standard lab methodologies and software.

• Strong ability to maintain accurate and organized records, including lab notebooks, spreadsheets, and database entries.

• Experience and ability to submit jobs within high-performance computing environments (HPC).

• Ability to fix complex job submission errors, node failures, and resource contention issues within HPC environments.

• Experience with Python making use of additional mitochondrial assembly and upload programs, including sequencing coverage plots.

• Ability to effectively communicate and interact with a variety of people from the public to governmental agencies.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.