The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking a good technician to assist with the production and disease testing of high quality tissue culture sweetpotato plants.
The main tasks of the tissue culture/virology technician are as follows:
The main tasks of the tissue culture/virology technician are as follows:
- To maintain sweetpotato varieties and breeding material in tissue culture, as a source of clean material and for breeders .
- To mass produce sweetpotato varieties and breeding lines in tissue culture as required by seed agronomists and breeders.
- To test and clean sweetpotato tissue culture plants for key virus diseases using laboratory and greenhouse methods
- To maintain databases of material held in the collection and carry out tests of genetic purity as required.
- To manage the “hardening” of tissue culture plantlets in screenhouses by transferring the tissue culture plantlets from tubes to pots.
The Position:
The candidate selected to cover this position will be based in Nairobi and work principally at the KEPHIS Plant Quarantine Station, Muguga, working closely with a CIP breeder and reporting to the CIP Head of Seed Systems.
The successful candidate will require:
The candidate selected to cover this position will be based in Nairobi and work principally at the KEPHIS Plant Quarantine Station, Muguga, working closely with a CIP breeder and reporting to the CIP Head of Seed Systems.
The successful candidate will require:
- Formal education completed through at least Form 2
- At least 2 years experience of working in a scientific organization or private company
- Basic knowledge of Excel and Word. Knowledge of Access or other data base management program would be an advantage.
- Good writing skills, good self-organization and an ability to keep detailed laboratory records.
- Experience of laboratory testing, plant tissue culture or growing plants in greenhouses would be an advantage
- Knowledge of English would be preferred.
The employment contract will be for an initial period of two years with the possibility of renewal. This is a locally recruited position based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Applications:
Applicants should apply by email, sending a cover letter summarizing their relevance to this position, a full C.V., an example of their written work, and the names and contact information of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience
to Naomi Zani (n.zani @ cgiar.org)
or send in an envelop to the
International Potato Center-SSA,
25171 Nairobi, Kenya
00603.
The deadline for submitting applications is 12 February 2010.
The reference name of the position should be clearly marked on the subject line of the email message.
