Strain Optimization Team Intern

About Pivot Bio:  

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of the soil microbiome, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in agriculture. Our first commercial product harnesses the power of naturally-occurring microbes to provide nutrients to crops.  We are dedicated to providing new sustainable ways for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on OneZero or CNN. 

Start Date: Summer 2022 – start date between May 1 – 31st 

Term:  Must be able to commit to a three-month term at minimum. 

Schedule: Flexible, usually Monday through Friday with occasional weekend work. Five, eight-hour days. 

Location: Berkeley, California  

 We’re looking for: 

 Pivot Bio is offering a full-time paid summer internship supporting the Strain Optimization team in designing and characterizing bacterial strains that will lead to more sustainable agricultural practices. This position will give ample opportunity to incorporate your molecular biology and microbiology knowledge into designing and building DNA constructs, engineering microorganisms, and evaluating their performance in vitro and in planta. Besides having fun with tinkering DNA and microbes, you will also learn about multiple in vitro and in planta analytical methods that help us understand the microbe and plant interactions. 

 Our team thrives on collaboration and communication, and these internships provide an excellent opportunity to work with a close-knit team while gaining hands-on experience in a biotech laboratory.   

 Responsibilities: 

• Engineer non-model microbial organisms using established SOPs. 
• Collaborate with Strain Optimization and Analytics team members for testing modified strains.  
• Analyze, document, and report data in a timely manner. 
• Conduct experiments both independently and under the guidance of Strain Optimization scientists. 
• Keep abreast of the current literature to contribute to strain engineering and analysis efforts. 
• Give presentations as needed. 

 Desired Skills and Experience: 

• Current undergraduate students, recent graduates, or graduate students in molecular biology, microbiology, plant biology, or other life sciences departments. 
• Some laboratory experience in molecular biology, biochemistry or microbiology. 
• Experience or knowledge of standard molecular biology techniques including DNA purification, PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA construct design and assembly. 
• Experience or knowledge of microbial culture and sterile techniques. 
• Ability to follow detailed, multi-day SOPs. 
• Excellent time management and documentation skills. 
• Excellent communicator and team-player. 

 * Must be authorized to work in the US.