Julian Tso

Experience

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  IGeneX

  Jul 2020 - Dec 2021

  Laboratory Assistant

  Worked with the specimen processing team to process Covid-19 tests and tick-borne disease tests.Prepared tissue samples for testing by aliquoting blood and serum and performing peripheral blood smears.Performed data entry to accession specimens and create new patient profiles in LIMS.

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  Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History

  Jan 2023 - Jun 2023

  Prepared bird study skins, sampled organ tissues, and contributed to current Norris Center collections. Assisted with general operations of the Norris Center. Duties included pest checks, organizing and pulling specimens, prepping class materials, creating displays, and general upkeep.

  • Taxidermy Intern

    Apr 2023 - Jun 2023

  • Museum Collections Management and Curation Intern

    Jan 2023 - Mar 2023
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  UCSC Langenheim Greenhouse

  Apr 2023 - Jun 2023

  Greenhouse Intern

  Focused on ex-situ rare plant conservation by growing CRPR plants such as trifolium species and tarplant. Duties included seed germination, growing and transplanting plants, recording growth data, and learning about conservation challenges.

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  Pattern Ag

  Sept 2023 - Dec 2023

  Laboratory Technician

  Assisted with nutrient analysis of soils by Mehlich-3 and KCl extraction. Operated Flow Injection Analyzer (FIA), Integra and Tecan liquid handlers, and Labfit pH Robot to perform extraction analyses. Designed SOP and piloted project to implement loss on ignition (LOI) determination of soil OM content. Performed lab prep work and assisted with other departments to increase sample throughput and meet turnaround times.

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  Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

  Jul 2024 - now

  UNLAB Researcher, Herpetology

  NSF#2216721, DBI RaMP, Understanding Nature and Los Angeles Biodiversity (UNLAB)Leading a research project about morphological changes in Western Fence Lizard (WFL) in response to urbanization in Southern California areas across spatial and temporal scales.Prepping lizard and snake specimens and sampling tissues according to NHM preservation guidelines, contributing to current museum collections.Assisting with organizing and maintaining current herpetology collection.