Tissue Culture Lab Technician (1st Shift)

Ohalo • South San Francisco, CA

94d • $29

About The Position

Ohalo Genetics is seeking a motivated Gene Editing Lab Technician who will contribute to the advancement of plant variety development. The successful candidate will be detail-oriented, enthusiastic about hands-on work, and responsible. Prior experience in a sterile work environment, plant breeding or gene editing is a plus, but is not required. The Gene Editing Lab Technician will assist in specific duties to ensure the overall success of the gene editing laboratory. This role will involve additional responsibilities related to lab operations, plant inventory maintenance, and process development. This role is not limited to only lab work, and offers opportunities to contribute to various aspects of our lab's growth.

Requirements

• Ability to accurately follow verbal and written instructions as well as make suggestions to optimize methodologies.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time and do repetitive motions.
• Ability to take a proactive approach to routine tasks.
• Must be passionate about learning and enthusiastic about plants and hands-on work.
• Must have a positive attitude and good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to ask clarifying questions.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment with multiple departments.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds on an intermittent basis.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a lab including sterile technique, micropropagation, media preparation, microscopy, and DNA extraction.

Responsibilities

• Perform enzymatic digestion of plant tissues (e.g., leaf, root, or callus) to isolate viable protoplasts.
• Transfect protoplasts using PEG-mediated transfection or electroporation methods.
• Culture transfected protoplasts to regenerate callus.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement and documentation of SOPs for protoplast workflows.
• Assess protoplast yield, viability, and cell health using fluorescence and confocal microscopy and viability dyes (e.g., FDA staining).
• Maintain accurate and detailed electronic lab notebooks (ELN) and batch records.
• Compile and analyze experimental data using tools such as ImageJ, GraphPad Prism, or Excel.
• Prepare samples for downstream molecular analyses, including RNA extraction, protein extraction, and genomic DNA isolation.
• Collaborate with other Technicians, Research Associates, and Scientists on workflows, ensuring that critical processes are completed.
• Follow safety protocols and institutional guidelines for working with plant tissue and enzymes.
• Perform all tasks in a manner consistent with and in support of all company policies and practices related to safety and compliance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Full-time employment
• Competitive hourly wage of $29.50/hr

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time