Research Associate – Molecular Biology / Plant Biotechnology

BCforward; Johnston (IA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

BCforward is seeking a Research Associate in Molecular Biology / Plant Biotechnology to support the Transgene Expression Engineering team at Corteva Agriscience. You will design and execute experiments on regulatory elements controlling transgene expression in crops across tissues.

The role requires hands-on work with PCR, cloning, Agrobacterium, and high-throughput assays, with strong data handling and collaboration across teams. A Master’s in related fields is preferred.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Crop Science, or related field.
• Hands-on experience with PCR, cloning, plasmid isolation, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, and DNA/RNA handling.
• Research laboratory experience emphasizing accuracy and reproducibility.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with ability to manage multiple experiments and datasets.
• Foundational bioinformatics skills and ability to work with biological datasets.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a research environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute experiments related to gene expression elements in crops.
• Perform molecular biology and plant biotechnology workflows, including PCR, cloning, plasmid preparation, Agrobacterium transformation, transient expression, and protoplast assays.
• Evaluate promoters, introns, terminators, untranslated regions, and other regulatory elements.
• Collect plant tissue samples and coordinate protein, transcript, and reporter-based analyses.
• Analyze experimental data to evaluate expression strength, tissue preference, developmental patterns, and regulatory performance.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records, experimental documentation, and data systems.
• Troubleshoot protocols and contribute to process and assay improvements.
• Collaborate with scientists, bioinformatics teams, transformation teams, greenhouse teams, and trait project teams.
• Present research progress, findings, and recommendations to project teams.
• Follow laboratory safety, regulatory, stewardship, and data integrity requirements.

Skills

Molecular biology

Plant biology

Genetics

Biotechnology

Data analysis

Experimental design

Documentation

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in Molecular Biology/Plant Biology/Genetics/Biochemistry/Biotechnology/Crop Science

Tools

PCR

Cloning

Plasmid isolation

Gel electrophoresis

Bacterial transformation

DNA/RNA handling

Microsoft Office

Job description

Research Associate - Molecular Biology / Plant Biotechnology

BCforward is hiring a highly motivated Research Associate to support the Transgene Expression Engineering team at Corteva Agriscience. This role focuses on the discovery and characterization of regulatory elements that control transgene expression across crops and tissues.

• Design, plan, and execute experiments related to gene expression elements in crops.
• Perform molecular biology and plant biotechnology workflows, including PCR, cloning, plasmid preparation, Agrobacterium transformation, transient expression, and protoplast assays.
• Evaluate promoters, introns, terminators, untranslated regions, and other regulatory elements.
• Collect plant tissue samples and coordinate protein, transcript, and reporter-based analyses.
• Analyze experimental data to evaluate expression strength, tissue preference, developmental patterns, and regulatory performance.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records, experimental documentation, and data systems.
• Troubleshoot protocols and contribute to process and assay improvements.
• Collaborate with scientists, bioinformatics teams, transformation teams, greenhouse teams, and trait project teams.
• Present research progress, findings, and recommendations to project teams.
• Follow laboratory safety, regulatory, stewardship, and data integrity requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Crop Science, or a related discipline, with relevant academic or industry experience.
• Hands-on experience with PCR, cloning, plasmid isolation, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, and DNA/RNA handling.
• Research laboratory experience with strong attention to accuracy and reproducibility.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple experiments and datasets.
• Foundational bioinformatics skills and ability to work with biological datasets.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a research environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience analyzing large datasets, identifying trends, summarizing findings, and presenting results.
• Experience with high-throughput assays, Agrobacterium, transient expression, protoplast assays, or reporter systems.
• Knowledge of gene regulation, promoter function, intron-mediated enhancement, transcription termination, or transgene expression cassette design.
• Plant research experience in laboratory, greenhouse, growth chamber, or field environments.
• Experience with protein expression, transcript analysis, imaging, phenotyping, or plant sample tracking.
• Knowledge of experimental design, statistics, data visualization, or high-throughput data organization.
• Interest in genomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, AI/ML-enabled discovery, or computational approaches.