38th Crown Gall Conference

Here is the forecast for this coming weekend: https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USOR0410:1:US
The weather forecasts for Fri-Mon are sunny/partly cloudy, daily temperatures range from the low 40s to low 70s, and there is a 0~10% chance of rain. See you soon!

Conference registration is now open! Please go to the Registration/Abstract submission page or click here to go directly to the conference registration site.

Application process:

Starting at noon (PST) on Sept 6th, we will start reviewing abstracts to select 10 applicants for travel awards (flight, room, registration, ground travel). If we are unable to identify 10 from the submitted abstracts, we will consider those submitted after noon (PST) 9/6/17 and will continue the process until all 10 awards are given out. A hard close is 9/11/17.
If you meet criteria for special consideration, please send an e-mail directly to Jeff Chang (changj@science.oregonstate.edu) with a brief explanation.

Awardees will be contacted and given instructions on how to make arrangements for their travel. As part requirements, awardees may be asked to write up a short paragraph describing their experience; this will be used by the PI in the final report for the funding agency.

Limitations:

US citizens, domestic travel, cover no more than $700 for flight, no more than $60 for round trip ground transportation on shuttle, may be capped at one student per research program.

Details:

Funds have been obtained from USDA-AFRI to provide support for up to 10 young scientists to participate in the 38th Annual Crown Gall Conference at Oregon State University (Oct. 7-8, 2017). The small meeting size and focused expertise of the participants will provide an excellent opportunity for young scientists to discuss their work, foster potential collaborations, build professional networks, and learn how their work fits in the diverse field of Agrobacterium biology. Information on the conference, including instructions for submitting abstracts and applying for travel awards can be found on the Registration/Abstract submission page. Graduate students and postdocs who are currently involved in research on Agrobacterium and desire an opportunity to present their work are invited to apply for the travel awards. Outstanding undergraduate students and Assistant professors as well as scientists not traditionally associated with the conference, will also be considered. Please upload an abstract. Applications from researchers who are members of under-represented minorities, first generation college students, veterans, and/or students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Awards will cover flights up to $700, round-trip ground transportation ($60 via Oregon Express Shuttle), lodging for three nights ($143/night), and conference registration (food, services, and entertainment).

Follow updates on the crown gall conference on twitter! This year’s hashtag is #cgc2017

https://twitter.com/crowngallconf17

Research Associate (RA) Position

Job Description

The transformation Research Associate (RA) may take direction from a Technology Leader, Research Scientist, or other management team members. A RA will conduct transformation experiments for soybean according to established protocols, document experimental data accurately into database system(s), and produce adequate numbers of transgenic events to support trait development efforts. In addition, he/she will participate in implementation, development and improvement of established methods to increase the efficiency of transformation pipelines.
• Manage and carry out soybean pipeline transformation experiments and deliver necessary transgenic events to support phenotyping or product development.
• Implement new technologies in pipeline transformation and conduct necessary experiments to establish pipeline transformation capacity.
• Conduct process improvement experiments to make the transformation pipeline more efficient from DNA integration in target cells to transgenic plant delivery.
• Follow DuPont Pioneer safety policies, protocols, and procedures, and ensure a safe working environment for all team members.
• Participate in team supporting activities such as culture initiation, equipment maintenance, media assessment or improvement, culture room maintenance, process improvement, or information management.
• Collaborate with Information Management team to develop and improve the transformation data collection and sampling system and ensure the data integrity in Dupont Pioneer databases.
• Provide technical support and ensure a respectful, collaborative, and positive team spirit.
• Provide summaries and reports to managers, and present results in company or outside meetings.

Job Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in plant science, biological science or related field such as horticulture or biotechnology, and minimum of 1 to 3 years of tissue culture and/or transformation experience. Direct soybean tissue culture and transformation experience would be preferred but not required. Experience in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation is necessary. Experience is also required in the area of designing and carrying out experiments independently, sampling plant tissue cultures for molecular and/or biochemical analysis, and detailed record keeping. Knowledge of plant transformation protocols and procedures, particularly those for soybean is also needed for the job. Ability to maintain complete, accurate and timely records of experimental data and procedures. Must be proficient with Microsoft Office software, and experience in the use databases and/or LIMS systems is a plus. This job also requires excellent communication skills, both oral and written. Willingness to support a high-quality laboratory environment through custodianship of equipment and strict adherence to lab safety practices. Ability to function both independently and as a respectful team member.

DuPont Pioneer (www.pioneer.com/careers) headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. DuPont Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. Science with Service Delivering Success™.

DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information. For US Applicants: See the “Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law” poster at: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf For our U.S. Affirmative Action Policy

Hiring manager contact information: Shujun Chang, Shujun.chang@pioneer.com, 515 535 0426.

The official crown gall scepter has arrived in Corvallis!