Nicholas Lawson
417-850-2073
[email protected]
611 S. Silver St. Apt. 2
Centralia, WA 98531
Profile
I am an energetic highly motivated scientist with a passion for conducting research and data analysis. My
key strengths are critical thinking and attention to detail. While conducting my MS thesis research, I
became proficient in a number of skills including experimental design, nucleic acid isolation along with
many downstream processes (e.g., sequencing library prep, PCR, and qPCR). I have experience working
extracting DNA and RNA from many genus of fungal plant pathogens as well as rice and soybeans.
Experience
Laboratory Manager - Landrace Labs, Rochester, WA
April 2016 – Current
Landrace is a supercritical CO2 plant oil extraction company. As the lab manager, I’ve helped this
start-up tremendously first I fixed an assembly error in the extraction machine. I am in charge of
updating and writing SOPs, handling lab intake, forecasting production and take care of all routine
maintenance of the laboratory equipment.
Graduate Research Assistant
Fungal Genetic Laboratory, PI Dr. Burt Bluhm, University of Arkansas
June 2014 - Dec 2015
Research focused on soybean pathogen Cercospora sojina. I became proficient in: sterile technique
fungal isolation, fungal genetic transformation, molecular cloning, maintaining bacterial cultures, end
point PCR, gel extraction of nucleic acids, and southern blotting. I also extracted RNA, built cDNA
libraries and helped run an Ion-Torrent PGM sequencer at the University of Arkansas.
Graduate Research Assistant
Molecular Plant Biology, PI Dr. Ken Korth, University of Arkansas
Aug 2011 - May 2014
The in order to complete the objectives of my thesis we utilized RNA-seq, performed at UC Davis
sequencing center, AffyMatrix Gene Chip Microarrays, performed at MSU, and qPCR to compare gene
expression between two rice cultivars. I carried out the entire rice growth experiments from planting the
rice to collecting RNA from endosperm. All downstream data analysis and follow up qPCR verification
was performed by myself.
Education
Master of Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
May 2016
Concentration: Cell and Molecular Biology
Thesis Title: “Gene Expression and Physiological Analysis to Study Differences Between Oryza sativa
Cultivars Susceptible and Resistant to Chalky Grain Formation Subjected to High
Nighttime Temperatures.”
Bachelor of Science, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO
May 2010
Concentration: Biology & Genetics
Service/Leadership
President, Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association
Member, Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association
Founding Member, The Student Mycology Club
2015
2012 - 2016
2014 - 2016
Skills
Laboratory: Nucleic acid isolation, NGS library prep,
NCBI BLAST, primer design, PCR, qPCR, confocal
microscopy, ELSA, molecular cloning
 Advanced bioinformatics skills: Max OSX,
Windows, Unix, perl script, and installation
and utilization of open source analysis
toolkits



Research, design, manage, and perform
complex research projects
Statistical analysis software: JMP, SAS, R
Lab management: Managing hourly
employees, lab supply ordering, both
equipment and consumables