Tissue Culture Production Lead

Ohalo•South San Francisco, CA

1d•$75,000 - $90,000

About The Position

Ohalo™ is seeking a motivated Tissue Culture Production Lead to contribute to advancing plant variety development by leading the Tissue Culture production line during a day or a night shift. The successful candidate will be creative and passionate about discovery, pushing science forward. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be well-organized, detail-oriented, and work independently as well as in a team environment. The candidate will spend approximately 80% of their time on plant tissue culture and regeneration and 20% on data management and analysis. Our tissue culture lab production runs two shifts per 24-hour cycle. The Lead will be responsible for the work completed during both shifts, though they will delegate responsibilities to team members on each shift.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Microbiology, Plant Science, or related field with 2-3 years of experience OR a Master’s degree in Biology, Microbiology, Plant Science, or related field with 0-2 years of experience.
Ability to accurately follow verbal and written instructions as well as make suggestions to optimize methodologies
Ability to ask clarifying questions, articulate challenges, and suggest solutions
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

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of plant science, plant breeding, and molecular biology
Experience working in a lab including sterile technique, micropropagation, media preparation, microscopy, and DNA extraction
Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Powerpoint and Word) OR Google Suite (Mail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive)

Responsibilities

Leading a Tissue Culture production line covering both day and night shifts
Responsible for ensuring high work quality and performance of shift team
Responsible for meeting shift team production metrics
Responsible for shift member training
Ensuring high shift team morale and engagement
Oversee day shift and provide instruction for night shift team
Media Prep and Inventory
Managing a variety of media formulations made to stock to support production activities
Overseeing and maintaining sterilization, washing and dispensing equipment
Culture and Subculture Maintenance
Direct expansion and subculturing efforts through the plant lifecycle
Train and assure aseptic techniques are followed
Culture protoplasts to regenerate callus
Contribute to the continuous improvement and documentation of SOPs workflows.
Microscopy and Imaging:
Assess protoplast yield, viability, and cell health using fluorescence and confocal microscopy and viability dyes (e.g., FDA staining).
Data Recording and Analysis:
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.
Sample Preparation:
Prepare samples for downstream molecular analyses, including RNA extraction, protein extraction, and genomic DNA isolation.
Lab Maintenance and Compliance:
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.
Performs other duties as assigned
Callus Culture:
Manage protoplast callus culture
Identify regenerated plantlets to sample for molecular analysis
Molecular Analysis:
Analyze sequencing data, identifying regenerated plantlets to advance to greenhouse and field trials.
Cross-Functional Support and Collaboration:
Manage and collaborate with other Technicians, Research Associates, and Scientists on workflows, ensuring that critical processes are completed.
Participate in planning and coordination meetings to align on timelines and resource needs
Manage production timelines and resource needs