East Lansing, Michigan
Posted: 12-May-26
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Type: Full Time
Salary: Commensurate with Experience
Area of Focus:
Preferred Education:
Internal Number: 1120881
Position Summary
We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic research assistant to work in the lab of Dr. Sue Rhee, a leader in plant resilience research at Michigan State University (Lansing, MI). The Rhee lab combines computational and experimental approaches to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive strategies in plants (https://www.rheelab.org/). The successful candidate will support collaborative projects related to molecular and cell biology and collaborative, international, and transdisciplinary projects, in addition to carrying out lab management and supervisory duties.
Responsibilities
Research activities (45%)
- Oversee and participate in experimental biology research projects in the Rhee lab in cell and molecular biology
- Manage microscopes in the lab as well as train and support lab scientists on various cell biology and microscopy techniques including live imaging using confocal microscopy
- Train and support lab members on standard and emerging molecular biology techniques and methods
- Develop techniques for collecting, interpreting and analyzing research data
- Collaborate and coordinate experiments with multiple labs and multidisciplinary teams
- Independently conduct experiments
- Maintain detailed records of experiments and outcomes
- Write publications
- Present ongoing work to colleagues and conferences
- Participate in grant writing to fund the related projects
Lab management (25%)
- Maintain organization of research material and lab space
- Support general lab operation by negotiating with vendors, placing and receiving orders of supplies and equipment
- Manage lab inventories and record databases
- Maintain lab stock of consumables and reagents including stock monitoring
- Work with the administrative managers to ensure expenses are being appropriately charged to accounts and track expense levels to ensure research expenses stay within awarded grants
- Set up new instruments and develop user instructions
- Manage and execute equipment maintenance and material repairs/replacement ensuring they are functional and work efficiently
- Develop standard protocols and procedures, make modifications to existing procedures and protocols if needed
- Manage laboratory software and user licenses
- Apply, maintain, and ensure compliance for material transfer agreements (MTA) and permits
- Update calendars, google drive, rosters and email lists
- Take notes and record zoom meetings
- Serve as a point of contact, can receive calls outside routine work hours for lab emergencies and address them
- Assist coordinators and managers for events
Supervision, hiring, training and mentoring (20%)
- Coordinate mentorship and training for students, research assistants and support staff in basic molecular, cellular, and plant biology techniques
- Assist scientists and provide training and guidance for standard lab procedures
- Provide advice and information on laboratory H&S, risk assessments and other control measures as appropriate
- Serve as a technical resource and source of lab knowledge for wet-lab experiments and personnel
- Provide recommendations and guidelines on experimental design, research direction, data analysis, imaging and microscopy work, and assist in brainstorming and planning future research projects
- Foster a creative and diverse research environment
- Write and/or contribute to recommendation letters
- Coordinate wet-lab research projects and personnel within the Rhee lab and center level grants to ensure research milestones are achieved
- Serve as a lab representative for recruiting research personnel
- New hire onboarding
- Train incoming personnel in best practices for recording data, organizing reagents and materials, and maintaining records
- Give general lab and safety induction to new staff
- Identify the hiring department and college, assigned HR contact, and search committee members
- Draft the job description and coordinate with HR to post the position
- Advertise the position in partnership with the PRI Communications team
- Coordinate and schedule initial and full interviews, including Zoom logistics and candidate communications
- Track applications, evaluations, approvals, and committee feedback throughout the process
- Support HR during the hiring stage, including reference checks, offer preparation, and onboarding coordination
- Supervise support staff, support and maintain probation, interim, and annual evaluation processes, promote training and developmental opportunities
Other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties within this job classification (10%)
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
The successful candidate should have a demonstrated ability for independent and critical thinking, creativity, strong written/verbal communication, strong interpersonal skills, be able to coordinate between people from diverse fields, and have enthusiasm for learning and mastering new techniques. Additionally, the candidate is expected to help mentor graduate and undergraduate students in the lab and should have strong previous experience in mentoring and/or training students in a research laboratory setting.
The job requires someone who is diplomatic, proactive, highly organized with a good judgment and common sense, attentive to details, excellent at record keeping and problem-solving, with good time management and workload prioritization skills, able to manage multiple and competing priorities, work well with students, have strong skills in coordinating researchers, communicate effectively across disciplines, and have a strong commitment to a culturally diverse, inclusive, and evolving workplace.
This is an off-dated position, with initial assignment for one year from date of hire, with possible extension contingent upon funding renewal.
Minimum Requirements
Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired through completion of one or two years of post-bachelor degree work, such as a Master's in Plant biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, or Living Imaging in the specific field of research employment; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in research methodologies, writing reports , supervision, software, data interpretation and handling in area related to research being performed in lab experience and a broad expertise in experimental approaches in molecular biology and engineering (cloning, recombinant DNA technology, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing), cell culture, cell and tissue fixation, embedding and sectioning, plant transformation, imaging and microscopy (light, fluorescence, confocal microscopy, electron microscopy).; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Desired Qualifications
Ph. D in plant biology (or a related field; molecular biology, cell biology, or live imaging) and Ph.D. degree level and years of experience in position duties and research area are preferred.