Volunteer Course Instructor/Assistant

SoundBio Lab seeks several volunteer Course Instructors and Course Assistants to deliver Lab Skills Courses in 2026.

Course Instructors will deliver one of several courses with an established curriculum. Each course runs 4-6 weeks with 2-3 hour weekly sessions. The Course Instructor is responsible for the primary instruction and demonstration within each session, but each Instructor will have an Assistant. Dates and times are flexible and can be adjusted to fit the Instructor’s schedule.

Course Assistants will either aid a Course Developer with piloting a new course or a Course Instructor to deliver a curriculum that SoundBio Lab has already developed. In both cases, the Course Assistant’s primary role is to help set up and clean up each session, direct students between activities, provide one-on-one student instruction, and perform other additional support tasks as necessary. If working under a Course Developer, they will also collaborate to evaluate the effectiveness of and engagement with the curriculum and provide feedback toward potential changes.

Requirements:

• Comprehensive understanding of general wet lab safety procedures.
• Expertise in the topic(s) covered in the course.
• Demonstrated proficiency in laboratory techniques taught in the course.

Previous laboratory teaching or mentoring experience is highly desirable.

• Post-secondary education in biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, microbiology, or equivalent professional

experience is highly preferred.

Commitment

Maximum 4 hours per week for 4 to 6 weeks.

Who should apply?

We understand that part of how inequality is perpetuated in STEM is the lack of opportunities for education and career development provided to marginalized groups — including people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, women, and people from working-class backgrounds. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities and members of other marginalized communities.

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Course Descriptions:

Microbiology Essentials: Participants will receive an introduction to foundational techniques and concepts in Microbiology in this course. Students will complete two workflows–microbial isolation and a gram stain–while learning about selective and indicative media and proper sterile technique. Duration: 4 weeks.

CRISPR Biotechnology: This course aims to introduce students to the history and applications of CRISPR-Cas technology with hands-on learning experiences. Using E. coli as a model system, students will silence expression of a fluorescent protein through two different CRISPR-based tools. Through this course, students will learn how to use molecular visualization tools, introduce synthetic DNA into a cell, purify DNA from a cell, and interpret DNA sequencing data. Duration: 5 weeks.

Metabarcoding for Microbial Ecology: This course will provide an introduction to the use of molecular techniques in microbial ecology. During the course, students will explore different kinds of microbes from all three domains of life then learn how to extract genomic DNA, perform a PCR experiment, and analyze NGS sequence data. Duration: 5 weeks.

Biomanufacturing: This course introduces students to essential techniques in biomanufacturing using plasmid DNA and protein expression workflows. Participants will learn to work with plasmid DNA, express target proteins in E. coli, and extract purified proteins using multiple methods. By the end of the course, students will gain hands-on experience in fundamental biomanufacturing practices applicable to biotechnology and research settings. Duration: 5 weeks.

Intro to Synthetic Biology: This course is currently in development. The course developer will serve as primary instructor so we are only looking for a course assistant. Curriculum details will be available by Q1 2026.

Biomaterials for Bio-Art: This course is currently in development. The course developer will not serve as primary instructor so we looking for both a main instructor and an assistant. Curriculum details will be available by Q2 2026.