Research Associate I – Microbial Lab

About Pivot Bio:  

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of microbiology, genomics, crop nutrition and agriculture, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in fertilizer technology. Our first commercial product harnesses the power of naturally-occurring microbes, modern gene editing and application technologies to provide nitrogen to crops.  We are dedicated to providing new solutions for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on Forbes or PBS News Hour.

This position will have a direct impact on microbial product development by assessing microbial viability of various microbes and/or formulations when applied to seed or soils. A key responsibility of this position will be to support research and commercial projects in the development and implementation of laboratory methods.  

 This role is onsite at our St Louis, MO (Creve Coeur) location.

 

Essential functions 

• Technical laboratory support for formulation development and application research. 
• Testing of on-seed microbial viability for various applications and seed types 
• Testing for microbial compatibility with various crop protection products, research, and commercial application quality. 
• Technical support in the development and validation of microbial enumeration methods, seed sampling methods, data analysis, and reporting of results.   
• Providing updates, summaries, and recommendations regarding Application R&D project status.    

 

Knowledge & Application  

• Experience and/or awareness of project management tools such as ASANA. 
• Proficient in microbial laboratory technics and methods including liquid handling equipment, microbial enumeration, and qPCR methods.   
• Excellent research acumen to perform the following: experimental design, statistical analysis, protocol development, execution, and summarization of results. 

 

 Collaboration & Interaction 

• Excellent communication skills are both written and verbal. 
• Collaborate with internal teams including product development, fermentation and formulation, and research in the development and execution of protocols.   

 

Work Environment