Job Description

We are seeking a talented and inspired Laboratory Technician to become a key member of Alora's team. As we embark on a mission to create a truly sustainable agriculture system the successful candidate will hold a pivotal role within Alora, with a mission to protect the world's harvest with advanced traits and the development of ocean agriculture.

For this position, Alora is seeking someone who can support and perform advanced tissue culture and molecular biology workflows as part of our trait development pipeline. This includes cloning and maintaining plant lines in vitro, assisting with DNA and RNA extraction, and preparing samples for downstream analysis. The role will involve close collaboration with our molecular biology team to propagate and analyze transformed rice and other crops, helping to accelerate the discovery and validation of climate-adaptive traits. A keen eye for detail, strong sterile technique, and an imaginative approach to innovation are critical for success in this position.

Alora is the Ocean Agriculture company -- pioneering the future of sustainable farming by developing crops that can thrive in oceanic saltwater. While our long-term vision is to cultivate floating farms across the oceans, our current focus is on building a powerful climate-adaptive trait platform that enables crops to withstand extreme conditions such as heat, salt, and drought. This is an exciting and dynamic position at the intersection of molecular biology and agricultural innovation. We encourage every team member to bring their unique perspective and experience to this skilled role. The successful candidate will have a strong foundation in plant biology, ideally including plant physiology and experience in tissue culture, molecular workflows, or cereal crop research.

Rice is currently the core crop for Alora's technology, but increasing this to include model organisms such as tomatoesor other important crops such as soybean will be a priority. This is a diverse and exciting role with plenty of opportunity.

We are a fast-paced startup, born in Yorkshire, shaped in San Francisco, cultivated in Ontario, and returning proudly to our roots in the UK. To all motivated questioners ready to be part of the team working to solve world hunger we look forward to meeting you!

On a day-to-day, the primary responsibility of the candidate will be to drive our tissue culture pipeline, perform cloning tasks as needed, and assist in evaluating new traits. Including:

Conduct tissue culture and plant regeneration, including callus induction, shoot proliferation, and rooting. Perform cloning and subculturing to maintain genetic consistency across experimental lines. Prepare and process tissue samples for DNA and RNA extraction. Execute high-quality DNA and RNA extractions for downstream molecular analyses (PCR, qPCR, sequencing, etc.). Assist molecular biologists with sample preparation, vector construction, and transformation workflows. Perform various transformation methodologies, including Arabidopsis floral dip and biolistics Maintain sterile conditions within tissue culture labs and ensure all equipment is properly cleaned and calibrated. Record and organize experimental data, including culture conditions, growth rates, and transformation outcomes. Catalog and label plant lines and tissue samples for traceability across experimental phases. Support inventory management of reagents, consumables, and lab stocks related to molecular biology and tissue culture. Collaborate with molecular and trait development teams to optimize protocols and improve efficiency across workflows.
Key requirements and skills include:

Biosciences, Botany, or related degree, or relevant experience Experience working in a tissue culture or molecular biology lab. Bonus if previously worked with rice. Experience of working within a scientific team, bonus but non-essential if this was within a startup environment. Communication skills, both written and oral. Proficiency with data management and excel. Inspired imagination for improving upon concepts, designs & experimental procedures.
This role requires the successful candidate to be on-site.

Please apply through Indeed and include your CV and either a cover letter or a link to an uploaded up to 2-minute video (either unlisted on YouTube, Google Drive, or similar) sharing why you are interested in ALORA and an introduction to why you are the right person for the role.

We look forward to meeting you!

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 24,900.00-26,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Canteen Casual dress Company events Company pension Discounted or free food Flexitime Free parking On-site parking Work from home
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Horticulture/Lab Technician
Expected start date: 24/11/2025