Graduate Research Assistantship, University of Minnesota & U.S. Geological Survey
We are recruiting a MS or PhD-level graduate research assistant to start August 2024 to work on developing protocols for use on a portable, rapid environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding tool, the MinION, for use in detecting aquatic invasive plant species in freshwater lakes and rivers. The successful candidate will work as part of a collaborative team to produce protocols for using the MinION device for identifying aquatic invasive plant species, including: identifying metabarcoding markers for approximately 40 aquatic invasive plant species; optimizing the protocols; conducting occupancy modeling for true detection rates; and sharing findings through workshops.