STDT 4 Undergraduate Student Researcher

DEPARTMENT MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Advanced Composites Research, Engineering and Science Laboratory– University of California, Davis (PI: Valeria La Saponara)

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Payroll title: Student Assistant IV (two positions)

Supervisor: Professor Valeria La Saponara

Pay rate: $20/hr.

Employment date: TBD in January 2026 (as soon as paperwork is completed)

Approximate hours/week: cap of 15 hrs./week during the academic quarter, for each student

Job location: 1240B Bainer, BioInnovation Lab (The Grove)

Degree level: GPA in good standing; Engineering or Microbiology majors

Period: Winter 2026-Spring 2026, with potential renewal in Summer 2026

Funding: TGIF grant managed by the PI, Dr. La Saponara

Job Purpose:

This position is to conduct experiments on bioremediation of diluted solutions of Round-up herbicide as used in local rice farming, with validation using live rice plants and mass spectrometry (samples for mass spectrometry will require preparation protocols).

As a member of a team, the student is expected to participate in interactive research meetings with other team members, present work and findings at regular intervals to the entire research group, meet regularly with the primary project lead (Dr. La Saponara) and project leads (Drs Facciotti and Parikh, Mr. Yao) and personnel who works on the project, provide written summaries as needed, as well as comply with all laboratory safety practices/guidelines. The students will also participate to the 2026 on-campus URSCA Conference.

Job Description:

This open position is to assist with performing experimental work in the BioInnovation Lab (managed by Dr. Facciotti and Mr. Yao) and in the laboratory spaces of Dr. La Saponara and Dr. Parikh, using appropriate protocols as designed by the team leads to safely handle fungal materials, live plants, diluted solutions of a known carcinogen (Round-up) and related equipment needed for the experiments. The students are expected to provide detailed summaries of their work on a regular basis, therefore good notebook keeping and copious record taking is imperative. The students will assist the team in identifying a new undergraduate student researcher who will take over activities once both students graduate and help train that person before they both graduate. Finally, the students will work with team members to prepare the required report (due in September 2026) and manuscripts based on project results and the poster presentation to the on-campus URSCA Conference.

Estimated effort distribution between activities:

1. Laboratory-based work (80%)

2. Group meetings (10%)

3. Interaction with researchers in the group (10%)

Qualifications:

· Familiarity with fungal materials, and the desire to learn more

· Good written skills to assist in report writing and manuscript preparation in collaboration with team members

· Excellent oral communication skills to present findings to the research group

· Excellent notebook and recordkeeping skills

· The ability to work without constant supervision as a contributing member of a team

· The ability to complete tasks in a timely manner

· The ability to follow strict safety guidelines