RA03 Plant Tissue Culture Research Associate

Green Bioactives Ltd (green-bioactives.com) is a cutting-edge plant biotechnology company developing a plant cell-based biomanufacturing platform to produce high-value biomolecules for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food, and agriculture industries. Our proprietary technology-driven platform facilitates the discovery and generation of plant natural products in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable fashion. Our vision is to become the world’s leading supplier of safe, natural, and sustainable plant biomolecules while employing production processes that help protect and sustain our environment.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking a well-motivated and reliable Research Associate, who has good attention to detail, to provide technical support in the development of improved plant cell lines and the associated upstream R&D process. The successful candidate will have a solid knowledge of plant sciences along with hands-on plant tissue culture experience. As part of our R&D team, you will be working in a dynamic environment, and you should be able to communicate complex biological mechanisms, methods, analyses, and results with scientists from diverse backgrounds.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

The following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of roles and responsibilities but rather to provide potential applicants with guidance around the main aspects of the job, which include:

1. Assisting in the planning and undertaking of experiments as scheduled in the relevant project plan(s).
2. Plant tissue culture, routine growth, and maintenance of plants and plant cell lines on solid media and in liquid suspension cultures.
3. Assisting media and reagents preparation.
4. Supporting research staff in key aspects of general lab management and organization.
5. Analysis of plant cell lines including molecular biology (e.g. RNA/DNA extractions, PCR), plant metabolite analysis (e.g. biochemical assays), and phenotype analysis (e.g. microscopy).
6. Analysis and communication of results using a variety of software packages.
7. Ad hoc R&D duties as required.
8. Complying with company quality management system policies and procedures.
9. Complying with company health and safety policies and procedures.

The successful candidate is expected to be able to prioritize their own workload and report any deadline issue to their line manager.

Qualifications and Key Skills

Essential Criteria

• BSc/MSc or equivalent in biology, biotechnology, plant science, plant biotechnology, and/or related disciplines.
• Demonstrable practical skills and experience in lab-based biological science research.
• Experience working under sterile conditions.
• Experience in plant tissue culture
• Experience in plant dissection
• Competent IT user with experience in MS Office packages, including statistical analysis in MS Excel.
• Well-developed organisation skills, and attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills.
• Self-driven team player.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge in plant cell biology.
• Experience with molecular biology analytical techniques.
• Critical thinking, ability to follow and optimize research procedures.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced, multi-tasked environment

Additional information

• Job title: Research Associate
• Reports to: R&D manager
• Job location: Edinburgh
• Job type: Full time
• Hours of work: Core working hours are between 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. 40 hours per week including a 1-hour lunch break per day.
• Salary: £27,500 - £32,500 per year depending upon experience.
• Benefits: 28 days holiday (inclusive of 8 public holidays), pension scheme, EMI share options.
• Right to work in the UK: Essential
• Reference: upon request

At Green Bioactives we value and encourage diversity and are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination. We are committed to offering support and making reasonable adjustments to allow full participation in the recruitment process. Please let us know of any requirements you have, and we will consider any reasonable adjustments.

Application Instructions

If you are excited about plant biotechnology and meet the above criteria, we would be happy to hear from you. Please apply here

For more information and initial contact info@green-bioactives.com