Plant Tissue Culture & Gene Editing Technician

Ventia; Canberra; On-site; AUD 76,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

CSIRO in Canberra is seeking a Research Technician to join the Plant Trait Innovation team. You will work with researchers to plan and carry out experiments, supporting gene editing and tissue culture projects that advance crop germplasm and technology development.

Typical duties include preparing media, maintaining cell cultures, designing experiments, analysing results with statistics or graphics tools, and collaborating across teams to meet project needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant work experience in Molecular Biology/Plant Physiology or related field.
• Experience with plant tissue culture techniques
• Experience with molecular biology and genetic transformation of plant material
• Demonstrated excellence in laboratory record keeping and data storage
• Demonstrated ability to work with a range of stakeholders in a dynamic team
• Focus on continuous improvement in Health and Safety in the workplace
• Experience with plant propagation and husbandry
• Experience with Gene Editing and new breeding technologies
• Previous experience with use of Electronic Laboratory Record systems
• Previous experience with use of Health and Safety management and incident recording software such as DoneSafe.
• Proficient in Microsoft programs, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and collaboration tools, Teams and Sharepoint.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to plant tissue culture and innovative gene editing research that advances germplasm improvement, championing high‑quality research, inclusive teamwork and creative thinking.
• Prepare tissue culture media, establish and maintain plant cell cultures, conduct gene editing experiments, and regenerate and propagate plants.
• Design and conduct experiments and laboratory analyses under limited supervision, adapting techniques and developing new processes to meet research needs.
• Conduct literature reviews, field and laboratory investigations and inspections, and analyse findings using statistical or graphics software as required.
• Collaborate across teams and projects, balancing multiple tasks and competing priorities.
• Plan ahead and use your judgement to schedule activities within agreed team plans, meeting experimental and project requirements.
• Independently test potential solutions to resolve research and technical problems.
• Maintain accurate electronic notebook records of all experimental procedures and results to support research decisions, publications and intellectual property protection.
• Support day‑to‑day laboratory, glasshouse and field maintenance, including preparing solutions and media, caring for plants and maintaining laboratory supplies.

Skills

Plant tissue culture

Molecular biology

Genetic transformation

Lab record keeping

Stakeholder collaboration

Health and Safety

Plant propagation

Gene Editing

Electronic Laboratory Records

MS Office/Collaboration tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology/Plant Physiology or related field

Job description

CSIRO in Canberra is seeking a Research Technician to join the Plant Trait Innovation team. You will work with researchers to plan and carry out experiments, supporting gene editing and tissue culture projects that advance crop germplasm and technology development.

Typical duties include preparing media, maintaining cell cultures, designing experiments, analysing results with statistics or graphics tools, and collaborating across teams to meet project needs.