Main Purpose of the Job

The Germplasm Resources Unit (GRU) at the John Innes Centre houses biological collections of seeds. We focus on wheat, pea, barley and oat germplasm. The seed stocks are kept in a specialised cool-dry chamber to prolong their longevity.

The job holder will support the GRU effort to generate safety duplicates of the seed collection according to existing work protocol. They will sub-sample seeds from the current stocks and update the GRU database. They will pack the newly generated seed stock in an air-tight aluminium envelope suitable for long-term seed freezing and label it.

They will also generate an additional sub-sample and send it to the Crop Trust International Seed Vault (Svalbard, Norway https://www.croptrust.org/work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/)

Key Relationships

Internal: Line manager, GRU group members.
External: Coordination with the Svalbard Seed Vault team regarding seed shipment 

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Duplication of the BBSRC small grain collection in JIC freezers and in Svalbard Seed Vault and update stock levels/ locations on SeedStor database

60

Carryout germination test for duplicated stocks when recent data does not exist 

30

As agreed with the line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post, for example, contributing to the work of Institute committees

10

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

2 A levels (or equivalent) at A2 pass grade, preferably in a scientific subject

Essential

BCs or higher degree in biological sciences

Desirable

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Excellent organisation and time management skills

Essential

Basic computer skills (Microsoft Office)

Essential

Demonstrate excellent team working skills

Essential

Excellent numeracy and literacy skills

Essential

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Demonstrate the ability to act independently and proactively in work situations

Essential

Working in reaserch environment

Desirable

Working with crop seed in science, breeding or genebank environment

Desirable

Organising data in Microsoft Excel tables (or similar)

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Good communication skills, both written and verbal

Essential

Good ability to learn new techniques and tasks

Essential

Strong enthusiasm for, and commitment to, supporting GRU crop conservation task

Essential

Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrating evidence of outstanding ability to integrate well within a small team

Essential

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well as part of a team

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Lift small loads up to 13kg at waist/chest height (reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability)

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial genetics, carrying out fundamental and strategic research, to train scientists and making our findings available to society.

Our research makes use of a wide range of disciplines in the biological and chemical sciences including; cell biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics and molecular biology.

For more information about working at the John Innes Centre, please click here.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive working environment for all. We have a diverse and multicultural scientific community and thrive on our European and international links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

We are proud to hold a prestigious Athena SWAN Gold award, recognising the impact of our work in promoting gender equality in science. We are also a proud member of the Stonewall Diversity Champion’s programme, a founding signatory of the Tecnician Commitment and, as a Disability Confident employer, guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852), limited by guarantee (registered in England No. 511709).

Department

Crop Genetics

The Department of Crop Genetics undertakes fundamental research on the biology of cereals, brassicas and legumes to understand the genetic and molecular basis of phenotypic variation. A major goal is to develop the technologies and knowledge base to provide a predictive framework that will underpin conventional and novel plant breeding strategies. This will enable high-yielding, stress and disease resistant varieties, with a particular end-use quality, suitable for an efficient but benign agriculture.

Group Details

The Germplasm Resources National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (known as GRU) at the John Innes Centre houses biological collections of seeds. The GR-NBRI aims to capture the broadest possible gene-pool diversity of the UK’s major strategic crops and crop wild relatives, to support plant science and crop improvement through breeding. We focus on wheat, pea, barley and oat germplasm. The collections include crop wild relatives, traditional landrace, adapted and elite cultivars as well as derived lines, mapping populations and induced (mutagenized) diversity panels. The seeds are kept in a specialised cool-dry chamber to prolong their longevity and are regenerated according to a 20–30-year cycle plan. The germplasm-associated data is catalogued in an in-house-tailored management system and public database (SeedStor).
More about SeedStor: https://www.SeedStor.ac.uk  
More about the team: https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/germplasm-resource-unit/ 

The GRU team focuses on three aspects of crop conservation research, where identified technological and knowledge gaps impede cost-effective gene banking delivery in support of improving global food security:
1. Developing improved seed regeneration processes
2. Genebank-Genomics
3. High throughput phenotyping for grain nutritional quality

More about the team's research interests: https://www.jic.ac.uk/people/noam-chayut/. 
 

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Seed Lab Assistant
Salary:            £23,493 - £25,400 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.
Contract:        Full time, 18 months
Location:        John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
Closing date: 16 April 2025
Reference:     1004877

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Seed Lab Assistant to join the Crop Genetics Department, to support the cutting-edge science of the John Innes Centre.

About the John Innes Centre:

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally. 

Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.

About the Germplasm Resources Unit:

The Germplasm Resources National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (known as GRU) at the John Innes Centre houses biological collections of seeds. The GR-NBRI aims to capture the broadest possible gene-pool diversity of the UK’s major strategic crops and crop wild relatives, to support plant science and crop improvement through breeding. We focus on wheat, pea, barley and oat germplasm.

The collections include crop wild relatives, traditional landrace, adapted and elite cultivars as well as derived lines, mapping populations and induced (mutagenized) diversity panels. The seeds are kept in a specialised cool-dry chamber to prolong their longevity and are regenerated according to a 20–30-year cycle plan. The germplasm-associated data is catalogued in an in-house-tailored management system and public database (SeedStor).

Read more:
About SeedStor database: https://www.seedstor.ac.uk/
About the team: https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/germplasm-resource-unit/
About our research interests: https://www.jic.ac.uk/people/noam-chayut/ 

The role:

The post holder will support the GRU effort to generate safety duplicates of the seed collection according to existing work protocol. They will sub-sample seeds from the current stocks and update the GRU database. They will pack the newly generated seed stock in an air-tight aluminium envelope suitable for long-term seed freezing and label it. They will also generate an additional sub-sample and send it to the Crop Trust International Seed Vault (Svalbard, Norway https://www.croptrust.org/work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/)      

The ideal candidate:

You will have 2 A levels or (or equivalent) at A2 pass grade, preferably in a scientific subject. You will have basic computer skills being in Microsoft Office programmes and it is advantageous to be able to organise data in Microsoft Excel.

The ideal candidate is a well organised, responsible, dedicated person with keen interest to support the seed conservation programme at the GRU. 

Additional information:

Interviews will be held on 30 April 2025.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.