About this role
The Gehan Lab at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri, seeks a full-time Research Associate to contribute plant molecular biology expertise to projects and to lead lab organization. The lab studies how crops respond to temperature and other environmental stresses, combining molecular genetics with high-throughput phenotyping and open-source image analysis (PlantCV; plantcv.org). This role splits time between hands-on bench research and lab administration. With mentorship from the lab principal investigator, a successful candidate will run molecular experiments independently, train and support lab members, organize germplasm, and manage ordering, safety, and day-to-day operations.
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Essential Duties and Responsibilites:
Plant Molecular biology research (about 70%)
- Design and carry out molecular experiments, including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR and qRT-PCR, cloning, and plasmid construction.
- Generate and characterize transgenic and gene-edited (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9) plant lines; genotype mutant and segregating populations.
- Prepare samples for sequencing (RNA-seq, amplicon, whole-genome).
- Organize and track plant germplasm.
- Grow and maintain plants in growth chambers, greenhouses, and phenotyping facilities; help run temperature-stress and phenotyping experiments.
- Troubleshoot and optimize protocols; write and maintain clear SOPs.
- Keep accurate records in the lab's electronic notebook and summarize results for lab meetings, reports, and publications.
- Train students, technicians, and postdocs in molecular techniques and lab practices.
Lab management and administration (about 30%)
- Order supplies, reagents, and equipment; track spending against grant budgets with the PI and Center finance staff.
- Maintain inventories of reagents, seed stocks, plasmids, and strains, plus shared databases.
- Ensure compliance with Center safety, biosafety, chemical, and waste policies.
- Onboard new lab members and coordinate shared schedules, growth-space requests, and lab meetings.
- Support grant progress reports, data management plans, and lab website updates as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Live the Danforth Center values: Collaboration, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity & Respect, Environmental Sustainability, and Stewardship
Qualifications
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, plant biology, genetics, biochemistry, or a related field.
- Molecular biology lab experience (academic or industry).
- Expertise in core techniques: nucleic acid extraction, PCR/qPCR, gel electrophoresis, cloning, and sterile technique.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage several priorities at once.
- Clear written and verbal communication; comfortable training others.
- Comfort with google docs, google drive, one drive.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
Preferred qualifications:
- 3+ years of relevant lab experience.
- Prior lab experience, including purchasing, inventory, and safety compliance.
- Experience with plant transformation, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, tissue culture, or plant protoplasts.
- Experience with plant growth and stress experiments in chambers or greenhouses.
- Familiarity with basic bioinformatics, Python, or R.
- Interest in plant phenotyping, image analysis, or open-source science.
Submission:
- Cover letter clearly describing interest and career goals
- Resume
- Contact information for three (3) professional references