Indigo improves grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital technologies. Utilizing beneficial plant microbes and agronomic insights, Indigo works with growers to sustainably produce high quality harvests. The company then connects growers and buyers directly to bring these harvests to market. Working across the supply chain, Indigo is forwarding its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Sydney, Australia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil. http://www.indigoag.com/
The Research and Scientific Insights team at Indigo Headquarters in Charlestown, MA is seeking an intern to develop applications of shotgun metagenomics to identify functional microbial genes associated with healthy plants. The intern will develop, optimize, and evaluate molecular strategies to enrich for endophyte microbial DNA from plant samples. Further, the intern will design downstream experiments to apply these methods for integrating functional metagenomics into the Indigo discovery pipeline. This is an exciting opportunity to employ the scientific method in an industrial setting and to contribute to creating transformational microbial products at Indigo. This role is expected to require 40 hours per week for 3 months during the summer in Charlestown, MA.
Responsibilities:
- Optimize molecular methods for enriching microbial DNA from plant material
- Validate molecular methods using techniques such as qPCR
- Design and initiate preliminary shotgun metagenomics experiment using field samples
- Proven track record of completing tasks and projects
- Make rigorous notes of experiments and communicate results across Indigo teams
Competencies:
- Background in molecular biology, preferably with knowledge of microbiology
- Laboratory experience, specifically with nucleic acid extraction and sequencing library preparation
- Experience with designing and applying protocols to novel situations
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to communicate results effectively to diverse audiences
