What Are the Duties of a Student Lab Assistant?

Basic Responsibilities

• Most laboratories employ student lab assistants to help with "housekeeping" duties or tasks that don't require advanced scientific study. These can include:

  --Washing glassware and equipment. It is common for student lab assistants to have responsibility for keeping glassware clean and maintained (such as flasks and beakers), as well as other equipment that is reuseable (such as pipettes).

  --Maintaining supplies. Supplies used frequently in the laboratory (i.e., disposable pipette tips, growth media, microscope slides) require periodic restocking. Many laboratories put this under the jurisdiction of the student lab assistant, who is charged with monitoring supplies and replenishing them as necessary.

  --Data entry. Especially in laboratories that generate a lot of data, student assistants may be charged with entering data into a computer program, spreadsheet or a lab notebook.

  --Preparation of reagents. Reagents that are routinely used in the laboratory and require preparation from a recipe are typically done by student lab assistants. This gives students experience with basic lab techniques and allows for an efficient division of labor among laboratory staff.

Advanced Responsibilities

• It is not uncommon for a student lab assistant to prove themselves ready for responsibilities in the lab beyond basic housekeeping. It is also reasonable for students to expect training in a lab environment beyond the basics. In these cases, the staff manager may give students more advanced responsibilities pertaining to the research done in the laboratory. This can include:

  --Assisting in carrying out experiments. student lab assistants, under the direction of a researcher, might conduct the various treatments or repetitions being tested in an experiment. For example, in an experiment measuring the effect of a bleach wash on the number of bacteria on a cantaloupe, the student lab assistant may help with inoculating bacteria on the surface of a cantaloupe, performing the surface wash or any other aspects of actually carrying out the experiment.

  --For advanced students, assisting in the design of an experiment. They also may also be asked to help decide on the treatments or variables being tested, the number of replicates, and other details.

A Learning Experience

• Ultimately, the duties of a lab assistant are whatever the student and the lab manager agree is appropriate. What is appropriate will evolve with the student's training and performance, and the manager's need for assistance. Different lab managers have different philosophies as it relates to the autonomy given student lab assistants, and different students will show differing levels of skill and responsibility. The most important thing for a student lab assistant to do is to seize every learning opportunity presented, and to be sure to communicate a willingness to learn more and take on more responsibility.