Research Technician - Perennial Wheat

Position: Research Technician - Perennial Wheat

The perennial wheat program is dedicated to the development of new perennial wheat cultivars as a viable crop for wheat growers. We generate new cultivars by crossing wheat cultivars with various wheatgrass species and conducting selection in the greenhouse and field with the aid of molecular markers. The latest breeding lines provide excellent materials for further breeding and comprehensive studies to address some key issues in perennial wheat breeding.

They have shown greater improvement in longevity, grain yield, and agronomic traits.

This research technician will assist the lead scientist primarily in the implementation and management of greenhouse and field experiments. Depending on experience, expertise, and interest, he/she may choose to develop his/her personalized research projects in areas such as field breeding, wide hybridization, and molecular breeding.

• Make crosses to create new wheat and wheatgrass hybrids in the greenhouse.
• Carry out laboratory procedures such as:
• Conduct tissue culture to rescue hybrid embryos when necessary.
• Collect plant tissue, extract DNA or RNA, perform PCR assays, and assist with sequence analysis occasionally.
• Lead or assist with planting, harvesting, and threshing samples for field and greenhouse experiments.
• Help to oversee and maintain research plots through sowing and transplanting, weeding, irrigating, fertilizing, and organizing.
• Process samples via drying, grinding, weighing, washing, sieving, threshing, extracting, etc.
• Carefully record, enter, and manage field and laboratory data in alignment with specific project guidelines.
• Ensure that equipment and supplies needed for all tasks are available, clean, and in good working order before, during, and after use.
• Maintain relationships and communication with external collaborators; help to coordinate and participate in cross-project field and lab work.
• Engage with visitors by leading guided tours and participating in community and scientific outreach or presentations.
• Assist the lead scientist with implementing research projects and maintaining collaborative partnerships with researchers at TLI and other institutions.

• Assist with data collection and statistical analysis of experiments.
• Synthesize and present project results at meetings.

• Assist with experimental design and management in the field and greenhouse.
• Help to refine field & lab protocols based on program needs.
• Assist with purchasing supplies and maintaining budget records.
• Direct & oversee the work of interns and research assistants in the lab for field and lab tasks, as well as assisting with any necessary training.
• Mission Driven:
  Passionate about the mission of The Land Institute and committed to benefiting this work.
• Courageous:
  Faces challenges and conflict with professionalism, grace, and resolve.
• A Boundary Spanner:
  Brings an interdisciplinary skill set, models self-awareness, and adapts across diverse perspectives.
• Inspiring and Inspired:
  Draws inspiration from colleagues and inspires others through example.
• Growth Mindset:
  Admits knowledge gaps, learns from others, and grows personally and professionally.
• A Creative Collaborator:
  Believes in diverse collective power, excels at strategic thinking, and embraces innovation.
• Excited by change:
  Embraces evolving situations and engages new ideas and possibilities.

• Bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related field or equivalent relevant experience.
• Good communication skills, both written and oral.
• Willing to work in unpleasant weather conditions, such as summer heat, to ensure urgent tasks are completed on time.
• Can lift heavy seed bags (up to 50 pounds) at a time.
• Must hold a valid driver’s license or be willing to obtain one.

• Experience in agronomy, plant breeding, or genetics.
• Experience in the scientific research of field crops, including wheat.
• Experience operating farm equipment such as tractors, combines, and threshing machines.
• Experience in greenhouse management.

Generally available to work forty hours per week, via in-person and digital meetings, primarily during 8 a.m.

-5 p.m. Central Time on weekdays. Some early morning, evening, or weekend work may be required for weather or time-sensitive tasks/experiments.

This in-person role is grounded in the Central Great Plains at our Salina, KS, campus. No frequent travel is required except between nearby field sites.

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing in a greenhouse to emasculate or pollinate wheat plants.
• Prolonged period of working outdoors, sometimes in inclement weather.
• Work primarily in the field in the summer, often in extreme heat.
• Willing to train and safely apply pesticide treatments to plants as needed.
• Work in pest-infested areas in the greenhouse.
• Follow safety and general lab protocols with…