Plant Health & Microbiology Summer Intern

Sciene New Zealand; Rotorua; On-site; NZD 6,000 - 10,000; Full time

Job summary

Scion invites applications for a Summer Student Intern – Climate Drivers of Terminal Crook Disease. You will gain hands-on experience in plant pathology, disease monitoring, laboratory research, and data collection while contributing to tools that support forestry disease management decisions.

You will work with researchers to investigate how environmental conditions influence disease development in radiata pine and gain exposure to epidemiological modeling and data analysis in a world-class

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate programme in Plant Science, Forestry, Biological Sciences, Environmental Science, Plant Pathology, Microbiology, or a related discipline.
• Interest in plant disease epidemiology, forest health, and how environmental factors influence disease development.
• Willingness to work in both laboratory and field environments and follow research protocols accurately.

Responsibilities

• Assist with inoculation experiments on radiata pine seedlings, including inoculum preparation, application, and disease assessments.
• Collect, record and manage disease and environmental data across laboratory and field settings.
• Assist with trap plant monitoring and sample processing, including microscopy, pathogen isolation, or molecular analyses under supervision.
• Contribute to data entry, analysis and interpretation to support epidemiological model development.
• Learn from experienced researchers in a collaborative scientific environment.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Organisational skills

Independent work

Teamwork

Education

Undergrad or Postgrad in Plant Science/Forestry/Bio Sci/Env Sci/Plant Pathology/Microbiology

Tools

Microscopy

Pathogen isolation

Molecular analyses

Job description

Scion invites applications for a Summer Student Intern – Climate Drivers of Terminal Crook Disease. You will gain hands-on experience in plant pathology, disease monitoring, laboratory research, and data collection while contributing to tools that support forestry disease management decisions.

You will work with researchers to investigate how environmental conditions influence disease development in radiata pine and gain exposure to epidemiological modeling and data analysis in a world-class