Strain Engineering Scientist I

Indigo Ag

1577

US MA Boston, United States

Posted on: 2023-09-29

Category: agritech

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Expired

Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Indigo Ag improves farmer profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of nature-based and digital technologies. The company’s core offerings – Carbon, Market+, and biotrinsic – integrate across the supply chain to optimize how the world’s most impactful crops are produced, sourced, and distributed. Founded in 2013 with a mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, today the company's technology connects stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem to unlock sustainability and profitability benefits for all

About Indigo Ag

Indigo is leveraging science and technology to help improve the sustainability and profitability of the agriculture industry. Since 2013, we have pursued innovative ways for science and technology to drive sustainability and profitability in agriculture. With our mission, we are focused on four key principles:

1) Helping farmers enhance their profitability and soil health

2) Improving the quantity, quality, and traceability of the food available to consumers

3) Protecting the environment by reducing and removing harmful greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, while incentivizing sustainable land stewardship practices

4) Creating long-term value for our shareholders

Our people build partnerships, explore the science, and engineer the technology to help grow the future of sustainable agriculture. The only way to achieve it is through a unique combination of expertise – from Fortune 500 to academia, soil science and agriculture, to tech start-ups.

Indigo’s Microbial Sourcing and Evaluation team seeks a skilled Strain Engineering Scientist with experience in molecular microbiology and plant-microbe interactions. The candidate should have a successful record of genetic manipulation of non-model microorganisms; experience with engineering of filamentous fungi is preferred. Candidates should have expertise in plant-microbe interactions and be skilled in modern methods of genetic engineering of environmental microorganisms, including Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and/or filamentous fungi. Experience with confocal microscopy is a plus.

#LI-JW2

At Indigo, we understand that talent is not a one-size-fits-all. We want candidates who are passionate about our mission and aligned with our Core Values. That’s why we encourage you to apply, even if you do not meet all the listed requirements above. So let us know what skills you bring to the table and how you will add to our culture!

Pay Transparency Statement

Indigo is committed to competitive and equitable pay for all employees. The listed pay range for this role is a good faith estimate of the hiring range for this position. Compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including an individual’s experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Benefits Statement

All regular, full-time, permanent employees who work 30 hours or more each week are eligible to enroll in Indigo’s benefits. Additionally, all full-time employees and some part-time employees are eligible for paid time off as outlined above. Based on their role, employees may also be eligible to receive long-term equity incentives and annual cash incentives.

We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and team members. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national, social or ethnic origin, age, physical, mental or sensory disability, marital status, family or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, family medical history or genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Indigo believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team members are critical to our success. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

If you’re applying for a job in the U.S. and need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and contact information. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

What You'll Do

Genetic manipulation and pathway engineering in a range of soil- and plant-associated microorganisms, from design to execution

Develop and employ genetic labeling strategies, including fluorescent tagging, to track and visualize the behavior and interactions of microorganisms to assess colonization and tissue localization within plant systems

Investigate the functional roles of specific genes and genetic pathways within plant-associated microorganisms, with a focus on their impact on plant health and growth

Experimental design, including in silico design of DNA constructs, cloning and mutagenesis strategies, and regulatory pathways to alter metabolic potential

When needed, development of new genetic tools for target organisms or new assays to assess microbial function

Team-oriented, can work as a member of a team and independently

Organize, communicate, and present complex datasets

Stay up-to-date with scientific knowledge, technology, and developments in molecular biology, microbiology, and plant-microbe interactions

Maintain accurate and detailed laboratory records, protocols, and reports

What You'll Bring

Ph.D. or B.S/M.Sc. with 5 years experience in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or related field

Knowledge of metabolic pathway engineering, genetic regulation, microbial physiology; plant-microbe interactions, and microbiome research

A broad molecular biology toolkit, including next-gen sequencing and analysis, DNA synthesis and cloning (e.g. Type IIS assembly, Gibson Cloning, RE digestion), RT-PCR and other gene expression analyses, CRISPR gene editing, or similar

A strong self-starter, independent thinker, with a strong attention to detail;

Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Previous work in an academic or industry setting

Familiarity with ecological and evolutionary principles in microbiology

Documented success in design and implementation of in vitro and/or in planta screening for plant-microbe interactions

A Day in the Life

60% Laboratory Work: Genetic construct assembly and validation; Microbial transformation; Evaluation of transformed microbes

30% Experimental Design and Documentation: Experiment planning & design; Protocol writing & documentation; In silico molecular construct design; Project planning with other teams

10% Professional Development: Skill development; Professional growth activities

How We'll Take Care of You

Base salary of $100,000 - $120,000 annually

Equity options & annual cash incentives

Generous paid time off, including 20 days of accrued PTO per year, 5 sick days, 5 floating holidays, and 12 annual company holidays as well as one week between Christmas and New Year’s for a company-wide annual break, parental leave, and bereavement leave.

Robust wellness benefits for employees and their eligible dependents including medical, dental, vision, mental health, and basic life and disability insurance

Optional benefits available include Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), identity protection, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance

401K savings plan

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