Do you marvel at the complexity of biology and seek to leverage plant biology in creative ways?

Does engineering plants to be deployable systems excite you? Do you want to build a future in which biology is a true engineering discipline and can you envision a role for plant biology in this future?

Do you have experience with plant transgenesis and molecular biology?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

We are seeking a Plant Molecular Biologist to help create novel applications that leverage plants in novel ways. You should have experience growing a variety of organisms including plants and microorganisms, molecular biology techniques such as qPCR and cloning, and image collection and analysis. As part of the Biological Sciences Group, this position is at the forefront of APL's mission to provide critical contributions to critical challenges. A highly motivated and dedicated Plant Molecular Biologist will be able to contribute to building extraordinary expertise in pursuit of challenges in biological sciences across the defense and national health application spaces.

As a Plant Molecular Biologist...

*Your primary role will be supporting and advancing existing efforts in plant biology, including engineering plants to be sensors, studying how anthropogenic stresses affect plant heath, and building new application spaces for plant biology within the realm of operational biology.
*You will be an advocate for your discipline and champion the inclusion plant biology into projects across APL.

*You will support study design, execution, and data analysis.

*You will communicate key findings both internally across teams and externally to sponsors.

*You will join a dedicated team and contribute to plant biology strategy.

*You will be a part of a team providing leadership in the development of new opportunities and support internal initiatives, driving technical innovation and growth in areas relevant to APL sponsors.

*You will participate in the biology and APL community, and present data at Lab meetings and to department management.

*You will participate in collaboration and innovation opportunities to help ensure the success of APL's mission.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you have...

* B.S. in Plant Biology, Molecular Biology or related disciplines with 1-4 years of relevant experience.

* Demonstrated expertise in plant transgenesis. Relevant expertise includes agrobacterium or viral-mediated expression as well as experience working with protoplasts.

* Demonstrated expertise in molecular biology. Relevant expertise includes design and execution of qPCR experiments, cloning techniques, and transcriptomics.

* Strong communication and collaboration skills; ability to lead and contribute to teams from any position.

* Are able to obtain a Secret security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you have...

* M.S. in Biology-related disciplines or equivalent work experience.

* Demonstrated expertise in imaging techniques. Relevant expertise includes knowledge of MATLAB and image J and experience with thermal and hyperspectral data collection.

* Experience with plant phenotyping and plant biochemistry.

* Expertise in gene editing technologies.

* Knowledge of chloroplast trafficking and plant responses to thermal stress.

Why work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation's most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. With a wide selection of challenging, impactful work and a robust education assistance program, APL promotes a culture of life-long learning. Our employees enjoy generous benefits and healthy work/life balance. APL's campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at www.jhuapl.edu/careers.