Inside Higher Ed
Assistant/Associate Project Scientist - Gene Editing - Innovative Genomics Insti
Inside Higher Ed, Berkeley, California, United States, 94709
Position overview
Position title: Assistant or Associate Project Scientist
Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-july-2025-scales/t37-b.pdf. A reasonable estimate for this position is $76,700 - $102,500.
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: Spring 2026
Position duration: One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.
Open date: September 25, 2025
Next review date: Thursday, Oct 9, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Saturday, Oct 25, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position Description The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist in the Staskawicz Lab, in the area of gene editing in rice and potentially other crops for disease resistance and environment resilience.
Position Summary / Responsibilities The IGI is seeking a highly motivated Assistant or Associate Project Scientist to perform research on understanding the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions and immunity, expanding CRISPR-Cas genome editing technology in crops. The successful candidate will use various CRISPR technologies to engineer agronomically favorable traits such as disease resistance and drought tolerance for agricultural sustainability. This interdisciplinary work will be performed as part of a team at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, centered in the laboratory of Brian Staskawicz, IGI Scientific Director of Agricultural Sustainability. The Project Scientist will collaborate with IGI investigators at UCB and UC Davis to advance the delivery of genome editing in plants. The project may involve guiding genome editing efforts of one or more undergraduate technicians. The position will report directly to Brian Staskawicz.
Specific research activities will employ computational skills to design guide RNAs and construct plasmids to target genes that include disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture in rice and wheat. Major tasks will include assembling plasmid constructs for prime editing in rice and wheat that target traits controlling disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture.
Duties for this position include
Designing and executing experiments to employ prime editing for various host targets
Design and execute in vitro assays to validate guide RNAs
Obtain consistent and reliable data, maintaining electronic lab notebook (ELN) records
Manage multiple projects and tasks in parallel to meet program milestones
Train one or more postdoctoral researchers and/or one or more technicians
Collaborate with principal investigators, postdocs, and students at partner universities and provide input to their research teams
Design and develop useful and practical intellectual property
Contribute to high-quality, high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals
Attend scientific and technical conferences to discuss accomplishments at the IGI and establish relationships with other leaders in the field
Qualifications Basic qualifications
(required at time of application)
PhD or equivalent international degree
Additional Qualifications (required at time of start)
At least 2 years of post-PhD research experience
Preferred Qualifications
Ph.D in plant biology, genetics, plant immunity or related discipline. Experience with employing computational skills to design guide RNAs to target genes that include disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture in rice and wheat. Experience assembling plasmid constructs for prime editing in rice and wheat that target traits that control disease resistance, drought tolerance and plant architecture. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and tasks in parallel to meet program-based research objectives. Genotype edited plants by Sanger and NGS sequencing. Demonstrated ability to carry out independent experiments to obtain consistent and reliable data, maintaining electronic lab notebook records. Experience mentoring undergraduate researchers and/or technicians. High-quality, high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Application Requirements Document requirements
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Cover Letter
Reference Requirements
3 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05153
Help contact: stask@berkeley.edu
About UC Berkeley UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.
The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For more information, refer to UC Berkeley policies on Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment. Letters of reference will be treated as confidential per UC policy. As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining misconduct. See UC policies on misconduct and nondiscrimination.
Job location: Berkeley, CA
To apply, visit: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05153
Copyright 2025 Jobelephant.com. All rights reserved.
Note This refined description does not include extraneous job-board boilerplate or unrelated listing sections.
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Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-july-2025-scales/t37-b.pdf. A reasonable estimate for this position is $76,700 - $102,500.
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: Spring 2026
Position duration: One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.
Open date: September 25, 2025
Next review date: Thursday, Oct 9, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Saturday, Oct 25, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position Description The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist in the Staskawicz Lab, in the area of gene editing in rice and potentially other crops for disease resistance and environment resilience.
Position Summary / Responsibilities The IGI is seeking a highly motivated Assistant or Associate Project Scientist to perform research on understanding the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions and immunity, expanding CRISPR-Cas genome editing technology in crops. The successful candidate will use various CRISPR technologies to engineer agronomically favorable traits such as disease resistance and drought tolerance for agricultural sustainability. This interdisciplinary work will be performed as part of a team at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, centered in the laboratory of Brian Staskawicz, IGI Scientific Director of Agricultural Sustainability. The Project Scientist will collaborate with IGI investigators at UCB and UC Davis to advance the delivery of genome editing in plants. The project may involve guiding genome editing efforts of one or more undergraduate technicians. The position will report directly to Brian Staskawicz.
Specific research activities will employ computational skills to design guide RNAs and construct plasmids to target genes that include disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture in rice and wheat. Major tasks will include assembling plasmid constructs for prime editing in rice and wheat that target traits controlling disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture.
Duties for this position include
Designing and executing experiments to employ prime editing for various host targets
Design and execute in vitro assays to validate guide RNAs
Obtain consistent and reliable data, maintaining electronic lab notebook (ELN) records
Manage multiple projects and tasks in parallel to meet program milestones
Train one or more postdoctoral researchers and/or one or more technicians
Collaborate with principal investigators, postdocs, and students at partner universities and provide input to their research teams
Design and develop useful and practical intellectual property
Contribute to high-quality, high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals
Attend scientific and technical conferences to discuss accomplishments at the IGI and establish relationships with other leaders in the field
Qualifications Basic qualifications
(required at time of application)
PhD or equivalent international degree
Additional Qualifications (required at time of start)
At least 2 years of post-PhD research experience
Preferred Qualifications
Ph.D in plant biology, genetics, plant immunity or related discipline. Experience with employing computational skills to design guide RNAs to target genes that include disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture in rice and wheat. Experience assembling plasmid constructs for prime editing in rice and wheat that target traits that control disease resistance, drought tolerance and plant architecture. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and tasks in parallel to meet program-based research objectives. Genotype edited plants by Sanger and NGS sequencing. Demonstrated ability to carry out independent experiments to obtain consistent and reliable data, maintaining electronic lab notebook records. Experience mentoring undergraduate researchers and/or technicians. High-quality, high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Application Requirements Document requirements
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Cover Letter
Reference Requirements
3 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05153
Help contact: stask@berkeley.edu
About UC Berkeley UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.
The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For more information, refer to UC Berkeley policies on Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment. Letters of reference will be treated as confidential per UC policy. As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining misconduct. See UC policies on misconduct and nondiscrimination.
Job location: Berkeley, CA
To apply, visit: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05153
Copyright 2025 Jobelephant.com. All rights reserved.
Note This refined description does not include extraneous job-board boilerplate or unrelated listing sections.
#J-18808-Ljbffr