Molecular Biologist (Plants)

The Molecular Technologies Department (MTD), within the Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center (WCIC) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, has an exciting career opportunity for an experienced plant biology focused molecular biologist who will engage in a wide variety of tasks associated with the fast-paced, high-throughput, day-to-day operations of the MTD. Primary responsibility is execution of, via Golden Gate mediated cloning, the plant transformation plasmid assembly strategies devised in collaboration with the MTD Research Manager, for both external fee-for-service clients and WCIC internal Research and Development (R&D) projects. The successful candidate will also be responsible for post-transformation molecular characterization of transgenic plants with multiplexed endpoint PCR analyses and/or transgene copy number measurements made via multiplexed probe based droplet digital PCR assays. Fully analyzed and annotated data will be uploaded daily into the MTD cloud based repository to support timely reporting of results to both external clients and WCIC internal teams. The successful candidate will also be responsible for conducting literature reviews, training junior staff members, and assisting with the development of research methodologies and procedures. There may also be the opportunity to assist with proposals to secure research funding. Additional critical duties include ongoing assistance with curation of MTD stocks of bacterial clones, plasmids, and DNA and RNA extracted from transgenic plants generated by the Production Transformation, R&D, and Greenhouse Teams. Candidate will have an opportunity to engage in research aimed at positively impacting plant transformation and gene editing efficiency for a wide variety of crop plants. Competency with Photoshop, and DNA analysis software (e.g. VectorNTI, SnapGene, and/or Geneious) is preferred. Previous experience in plant biology, Golden Gate cloning, RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, robot assisted DNA extraction, and design of plant transformation plasmids, PCR primers, PCR probes, and multiplexed PCR assays is preferred. The MTD is within the WCIC, which is a ~100,000 square foot state-of-the-art agricultural biotechnology complex housing laboratories and greenhouses dedicated to the production and analysis of transgenic and gene edited plants. This facility is the largest publicly held plant transformation facility in the United States and is aimed at improving crop plants for humans, livestock, and the environment. People from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences are strongly encouraged to apply.

The UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is committed to maintaining and growing a culture that embraces diversity, inclusion, and equity, believing that these values are foundational elements of our excellence and fundamental components of a positive and enriching learning and working environment for all students, faculty, and staff.

Apply Online through the University of Wisconsin - Madison Human Resources Department @ https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/508632/molecular-biologist

UW-Madison is an AA/EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, status as a protected veteran, and status as a qualified individual with a disability.