Research Associate (Full Time)

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is seeking a motivated, organized, entrepreneurial-minded, responsible and proactive team player to fill a full-time position as a Research Associate. In this position, the Research Associate will carry out critical work assisting in the development, purification, testing and evaluation of anti-microbial peptides for commercialization. These peptides are being developed to fight common plant pathogens that cause substantial damage to agricultural crops; in the role, the right candidate will contribute to more effective, sustainable, and environmentally responsible agriculture.

Responsibilities

• Prepare microbial growth media and buffers, maintain fungal and/or bacterial cultures (NB: these fungi and bacteria do not pose human health hazards), and care for plants in growth chambers
• Apply molecular biology techniques to construct and clone antimicrobial peptide sequences into plasmids and transform into expression hosts
• Express and purify antimicrobial peptides from eukaryotic and/or prokaryotic protein expression systems
• Carry out bioassays to test the antifungal properties of purified antimicrobial proteins and peptides in-vitro and in-planta
• Analyze potency, stability, and other properties of purified antimicrobial peptides in medium- and high-throughput formats, including the use of automated liquid handling equipment. Carry out data processing, quantitation, and presentation in specified formats
• Follow safety protocols, carry out routine lab and equipment maintenance, and carefully and precisely maintain electronic research records
• Learn new techniques and ideas, seek out and review relevant scientific literature and methods, and be open to carrying out other scientific and laboratory duties as required
• As a team player, work together with research scientists and other colleagues to increase the number, purity, quality, and effectiveness of produced and tested antimicrobial peptides
• Contribute to a friendly and spirited work environment with excitement, inspiration, and energy
• Other duties as assigned and duties and tasks reflect substantial variety, independent judgement and complexity.

• Practical, independent (supervised or unsupervised) experience in basic molecular biology and molecular cloning methods, including agarose gel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme / ligase-based cloning, PCR, and the use of molecular cloning software to evaluate nucleotide sequences
• Committed to organization, recordkeeping, and communication, with the ability to work collaboratively within an interactive research environment
• May organize, train, assign, direct and check the work of lower level employees
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and to collaborate with team members, take initiative, and demonstrate creative problem-solving skills
• Works under minimal supervision, and accomplishes assigned goals within expected time frames
• Facility with Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Live the Danforth Center values: Collaboration, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity & Respect, Environmental Sustainability, and Stewardship

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience using sterile techniques, such as in plant tissue culture, or maintenance of microbial cultures and stocks.
• Ability to analyze, troubleshoot and optimize laboratory protocols and instrumentation, especially procedures and equipment used in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology and/or plant biology research.

Any of the following additional qualifications will make the right candidate stand out:

• Prior experience working with microbial pathogens and conducting plant disease resistance assays in growth chambers.
• Prior experience with microplate-based assays; experience with liquid dispensing equipment, plate handling equipment or laboratory-scale robotic dispensers.
• Previous experience with expression and purification of proteins from yeast or bacterial expression systems, including the use of preparative liquid chromatography (e.g., Akta / FPLC instrumentation) for purification.
• Prior experience with protein-focused biochemical and analytical assays such as SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, protein quantitation by UV-Vis or colorimetric methods, large-molecule HPLC and/or protein mass spectrometry.
• Experience in advanced molecular biology methods including plasmid design, Gibson/Golden-Gate cloning and construct assembly, library construction, or expression analysis by RT-PCR / Q-PCR.

Educational Qualifications:

• BSc, MSc in Biology, Plant Science, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or related Life Science field required. 
• 6 years (BSc), 3 years (MSc) preferred.

Submission:

• Cover letter that clearly describes background, experience, and career goals (no more than 2 pages; 1 page preferred)
• Resume (no more than 2-3 pages)
• Contact information for three (3) professional references (can be within resume or included separately)

About the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center:

Founded in 1998, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is an independent, non-profit organization with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Our focus is scientific research at the nexus of food, energy and the environment to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture. We assemble interactive teams of scientists and develop unique platforms to discover underlying principles about how plants work. We then convert that knowledge into useful crops and products, and partner with organizations that are best positioned to solve problems where they exist around the world. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is proudly an equal employment opportunity employer. Employment decisions at the Danforth Center are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. It is our policy that the Danforth Center does not discriminate in employment opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin and status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities.  If you need a reasonable accommodation to access the information provided on this web site, please contact Human Resources, at 314-587-1033 for further assistance.