Postharvest R&D Intern

Job Description

Postharvest R&D Intern | Driscoll’s

The Tone:
This is a full-time, on-site internship at Driscoll’s, located in Watsonville, California. Driscoll’s is the global market leader for fresh berries, known for developing premium varieties through natural breeding methods. This role contributes to vital research focused on understanding and improving berry quality and shelf-life, directly supporting the company’s core purpose of delivering delicious berries to consumers worldwide. The intern will gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge postharvest science.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Watsonville, CA
• Team: Postharvest R&D Team, collaborating with breeding, sensory, and next-gen breeding groups.
• Mission: Advance research into phenotypic, genetic, and physiological factors impacting berry quality and shelf-life.
• Tech Stack: Microsoft Excel/Word/PowerPoint, ImageJ

What You’ll Actually Do
• Method Development: Develop, measure, and optimize biochemical, physiological, and analytical methods to quantify key postharvest traits like flavor inconsistency and color development.
• Quality Evaluation: Perform comprehensive postharvest shelf life and quality evaluations across diverse berry types.
• Equipment Operations: Operate and maintain analytical laboratory equipment, ensuring it remains in operational condition.
• Data Management: Collect, accurately enter, curate, and analyze phenotypic postharvest data.
• Team Collaboration: Collaborate and communicate effectively with cross-functional teams, including breeding, sensory, and next-gen breeding groups.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently enrolled as an advanced undergraduate in plant biology, horticulture, biochemistry, or an agriculture-related field.
• Experience: 0-3 years of experience, including understanding scientific methods like setting up lab experiments and testing hypotheses.
• Skills: Data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, precision in lab record/data keeping, ImageJ proficiency, Microsoft Excel/Word/PowerPoint proficiency, excellent communication skills.
• Bonus: Experience with lab analytical, molecular, and biochemical laboratory methods relevant to fruit ripening or postharvest biology; prior experience with data analysis and data management.