Plant Tissue Culture Lab Operations Intern

About the role

The Plant Tissue Culture Lab Operations Intern will support Driscoll’s Nursery Tissue Culture Laboratory by providing data‑driven insights to improve both robotic and manual production workflows. This six‑month, on‑site internship offers hands‑on experience with plant tissue culture, laboratory automation, and operational analytics.

Key responsibilities

• Collect, organize, and analyze operational data across manual and robotic tissue‑culture workflows.
• Track production metrics such as contamination rates, cycle times, throughput, and success rates.
• Map workflow steps to identify bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.
• Digitize paper logs and convert them into structured datasets.
• Create dashboards, reports, or visual summaries for daily operations monitoring.
• Evaluate material readiness for upcoming production cycles (clones, explants, media).
• Collaborate with lab technicians, media preparation, inventory, and robotics teams to ensure process alignment.
• Identify operational risks, delays, or inefficiencies and communicate observations.
• Contribute to continuous‑improvement projects aimed at increasing throughput and reducing waste.

Required profile

• On‑site internship in Watsonville, CA, lasting six months (May/June – December).
• No housing stipend; must be authorized to work in the U.S.
• Recent graduate (within 6 months) or graduating by Summer 2026, with a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Ability to work with lab technicians, supervisors, and automation teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Required skills

• Data analysis
• Process mapping
• Dashboard creation

What we offer

• Hands‑on exposure to commercial plant propagation and automation technologies.
• Practical experience in operational analytics, process improvement, and applied biotechnology.