Job Description
Job Description
Job Title: Plant Scientist – CRISPR Precision Breeding
Location: Tampa, FL
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: $70,000 - $100,000 per year
Benefits: Health insurance, Paid time off
Schedule: Monday to Friday
Position Overview
Soilcea is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Plant Scientist to support our mission of
developing disease-resistant citrus through CRISPR-based precision breeding. This role will play
a critical part in advancing our non-GMO citrus improvement pipeline by editing key
susceptibility genes associated with bacterial disease resistance.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in plant molecular biology, protoplast
isolation and transfection, callus induction and maintenance, and genome editing technologies.
This is a hands-on role with significant bench work, requiring expertise in plant cell biology and
tissue culture/regeneration. The candidate will design and execute experiments involving
protoplast transfection, embryogenesis, and tissue culture regeneration, and will contribute to
developing and optimizing related methods. Expertise in protoplast isolation, transfection,
and regeneration is strongly preferred and will be a central focus of this position.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and execute experiments related to CRISPR-mediated gene editing in citrus
- Perform enzymatic digestion of plant tissue for protoplast isolation
- Transfect protoplasts using PEG-mediated methods
- Maintain and culture transfected protoplasts for plant regeneration
- Monitor plant materials, growth conditions, and tissue culture health
- Prepare tissue culture media
- Collect tissue samples for downstream analysis
- Contribute to field data collection, organization, and statistical analysis
- Coordinate with team members to advance project goals
- Mentor junior team members and assist with project planning and troubleshooting
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Plant Science, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, or a related field
with 2+ years of relevant experience
OR
- M.S. in a related field with 5+ years of hands-on laboratory experience
- Demonstrated expertise in plant genetic transformation and regeneration
- Experience with molecular biology techniques (e.g., cloning, DNA/RNA extraction,
- PCR/qPCR, gel electrophoresis)
- Proficiency in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific documentation
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced research
- environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with protoplast isolation, transfection, and tissue culture regeneration
- Experience working with CRISPR/Cas systems in plants
- Prior experience with citrus
- Experience in an industry RD setting
About Soilcea
Soilcea is at the forefront of agricultural biotechnology, focused on developing CRISPR-edited
citrus varieties resistant to devastating bacterial pathogens. Citrus canker and Huanglongbing
(citrus greening) have significantly impacted the Florida citrus industry, reducing yields by over
90% and causing billions in economic losses. Soilcea holds exclusive licenses to foundational
CRISPR technologies developed at the University of Florida aimed at solving these challenges
through non-GMO precision breeding. Join us in shaping the future of sustainable citrus
production.
Company DescriptionSoilcea is creating CRISPR-edited citrus trees that are resistant to the citrus industry’s deadliest diseases. Two bacterial diseases, citrus canker and Huanglongbing (greening), are decimating the Florida citrus industry, having already destroyed millions of trees, cost the state billions in lost revenue, and reduced average yields by 33%. Soilcea has exclusive licenses to patents from the University of Florida to cure these deadly pathogens using CRISPR precision breeding.
Company Description
Soilcea is creating CRISPR-edited citrus trees that are resistant to the citrus industry’s deadliest diseases. Two bacterial diseases, citrus canker and Huanglongbing (greening), are decimating the Florida citrus industry, having already destroyed millions of trees, cost the state billions in lost revenue, and reduced average yields by 33%. Soilcea has exclusive licenses to patents from the University of Florida to cure these deadly pathogens using CRISPR precision breeding.