Job Title: Lab Assistant

Job Description

We are seeking a dedicated Lab Assistant to support day-to-day greenhouse and growth chamber activities. The role involves a variety of tasks including planting, pollinating, tissue sampling, pest and disease scouting, harvesting, threshing, and maintaining facility cleanliness and safety standards. This position specifically focuses on working within a greenhouse facility and not in a traditional lab environment.

Responsibilities

• Perform day-to-day greenhouse and growth chamber activities including planting, pollinating, tissue sampling, pest and disease scouting, harvesting, and threshing.
• Maintain facility cleanliness and adhere to safety standards.
• Collect tissue samples from soybean plants for DNA analysis.
• Water, pot soil, and care for all plants in the growth chamber.
• Replant samples after data review.
• Assist in operating the soybean threshing machine.
• Plate samples to be tested by the Molecular Marker group.
• Conduct plant maintenance including trimming, training, and node cleaning.
• Cross-pollinate plants and discard as necessary.
• Work with soybean, wheat, pollen, and dust.

Essential Skills

• Experience in horticulture, greenhouse operations, and plant care.
• Knowledge of agriculture, botany, biology, and plant genetics.
• Proficiency in tissue collection, transplanting, and working within a growth chamber.
• Ability to handle tasks related to harvesting and threshing.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Associates or Bachelor's degree in Life Science (Horticulture, Agriculture, Agricultural Studies) OR at least 6 months of greenhouse or field experience.
• Willingness to work in a greenhouse with plants and not in a lab environment.

Work Environment

This role involves working in a large, climate-controlled facility with 32 growth chambers designed for soybean plant growth. The job is physical, requiring standing for 8 hours a day and occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds. The environment is warm, maintaining temperatures of 80-85 degrees and sunny conditions. The dress code is casual, including jeans, work-appropriate shirts, and closed-toe shoes. Typical work hours are Monday to Friday from 7 AM to 3:30 PM, with occasional weekend work required. Weekend shifts involve working two out of every five weekends for four hours each day, and scheduling is flexible to accommodate personal needs. The position offers paid holidays and PTO accrual.