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Research Associate, Plant Transformation

West Lafayette, IN

About Inari...

Inari is the SEEDesign™ company, using new breeding technology to push the boundaries of what is possible by designing nature-positive seeds for a more sustainable food system. A combination of AI-enabled predictive design and a cutting-edge multiplex gene editing toolbox enables Inari to unlock the full potential of seed and advance critical solutions with broad applications for growing more food with fewer resources – providing real benefits to farmers, our planet and the global population.

Our success is dependent on great minds, collaborating to generate bright ideas and deliver exceptional outcomes.

We have over 300 employees, with research sites in Cambridge, MA (USA) and Ghent (Belgium), as well as a product development site in West Lafayette, IN (USA). We’ve deliberately built a team that brings diversity of thought to all aspects of our business, to generate new ideas, approaches, and ways of operating. And we've intentionally combined experience with potential, bringing agriculture industry experts with the desire to innovate together with bright minds from academia, human therapeutics, software, and consulting. If you want to be part of a diverse and inclusive team developing unique solutions to feed the world while protecting our planet’s natural resources, we’d love to hear from you!

ABOUT THE ROLE…

 

We are looking for a dynamic and self-motivated Research Associate to join our fast-growing and collaborative Product Development team to work on plant transformation and tissue culture. This is a hands-on, lab-based role which requires the ability to concentrate, pay attention to details, work efficiently, troubleshoot and work independently as well as in a team environment. The right candidate will be well-organized, flexible, and able to deliver high quality results on time. This position will be located at our West Lafayette, IN site.

 

AS A RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, YOU WILL....

· Perform plant transformation in multiple, commercially-relevant crops using established production protocols.

· Support the genome editing production pipeline by developing and optimizing transformation methods, testing and validating novel transformation technologies, and continuously improving processes to increase scale and efficiency.

· Collaborate with Scientists and Research Associates to execute experiments, conduct analyses, and record data.

· Initiate and maintain in vitro plant cultures in a high throughput setting.

· Maintain a clean working environment for plant tissue culture experiments.

· Keep detailed and organized records of work, project data and other necessary information.

· Work with colleagues to troubleshoot and develop effective solutions when problems arise.

· Participate in scientific discussions and present research outcomes to peers and management.

· Spend up to 80% of daily work hours in the lab using tissue culture tools (e.g., forceps, scalpels) in a laminar flow hood, lab bench and/or growth chambers.

YOU BRING…

· Bachelor’s or Associate's Degree plus 1 or 2 years of lab experience.

· Experience with monocot and/or dicot plant tissue culture and genetic transformation technologies.

· Proficiency in aseptic techniques.

· Experience with bacterial cell culture.

· Understanding of microbiology and molecular biology principles/techniques.

· High degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

· Excellent planning, organization and execution skills.

· Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.

· Initiative and sound judgment with a willingness to take on additional responsibilities to meet goals.

· Positive attitude with strong interpersonal skills.

· Flexibility, adaptability and ability to constructively challenge the status quo.

· Creativity and efficiency in a fast-paced environment.

· Strong written and oral communication skills.

· Self-motivated with a results-driven approach and focus on execution.

· Curiosity and desire to continuously learn and have a meaningful impact.

· Collaborative mindset, open to giving and receiving feedback and ideas.

BONUS QUALIFICATIONS...

· 1 year of industry experience in plant tissue culture.

· Experience with monocot genetic transformation technologies.

· Experience with molecular biology.

· Proficiency with light and fluorescent microscopy.

· Proficiency with digital record keeping in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN)

 

 

 

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