Plant Research Assistant I — Growth & Lab Ops

Salk Institute for Biological Studies; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Transit/parking program

Job summary

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is seeking a Research Assistant I to support large-scale plant experiments across soybean, Arabidopsis and other crops. You will grow plants, harvest tissues, freeze samples, organize seed stocks and assist with DNA extraction and sequencing library prep in a collaborative lab environment.

You should have strong practical plant growth and sterile technique skills, basic molecular biology knowledge, and attention to detail for long-term experiments and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences or related discipline is required.
• Strong practical plant handling and sterile technique skills are essential.
• Experience with molecular biology approaches and careful record keeping is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Grow soybean and other plants in growth chambers and greenhouses, including seed sterilization and care.
• Prepare sterile media and plate seeds using aseptic technique.
• Harvest roots and tissues, flash-freeze samples, and store at -80 °C for analyses.
• Scan plates, organize image files with complete metadata (genotype, treatment, date).
• Maintain seed stocks and monitor reagent stocks to avoid delays.

Skills

Plant growth

Sterile technique

Molecular biology basics

Data recording

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is seeking a Research Assistant I to support large-scale plant experiments across soybean, Arabidopsis and other crops. You will grow plants, harvest tissues, freeze samples, organize seed stocks and assist with DNA extraction and sequencing library prep in a collaborative lab environment.

You should have strong practical plant growth and sterile technique skills, basic molecular biology knowledge, and attention to detail for long-term experiments and