Glassware and Media Prep Technician - Plant Biology Institute

About EIT

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we’re on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas:

• Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
• Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂

EIT is a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real‑world breakthroughs. Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society. Explore more .org.

The Plant Biology Institute, headed by Professor Steve Kelly, is a key part of the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) Oxford. The institute aims to develop impactful and commercially sustainable solutions for improving global food production and planetary health through pioneering plant science research.

Areas of exploration include:

• Improved plant productivity, both indoors and outside
• Reduced reliance on inputs including water, fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Novel decarbonised plant‑based production platforms for food and medicines
• Advanced technologies that speed up discovery and deployment in plants.

Researchers will have access to state‑of‑the‑art laboratory and plant growth facilities and have opportunities to collaborate with experts at the forefront of research on AI, automation, and generative biology across the EIT ecosystem. They will also work with global leaders in market development, commercialisation, and impact creation. The Plant Biology Institute has long‑term substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its vision.

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) is seeking a highly organised and detail‑oriented Glassware Technician to support laboratory operations within its Plant Biosciences (PBI) research programme.

This role is responsible for the preparation and sterilisation of culture media and solution, cleaning of laboratory glassware, and operation of glassware washers, autoclaves and related equipment in accordance with approved SOPs and safety standards. The successful candidate will maintain accurate records, monitor stock levels, support regulatory compliance (including COSHH and GM requirements), and ensure high standards of housekeeping and Good Laboratory Practice.

By providing reliable technical support and maintaining a consistent supply of sterile materials and consumables, this position is integral to the smooth running of laboratory and plant research workflows and the delivery of high‑quality scientific outcomes.

• Prepare a wide range of microbiological and plant tissue culture media, buffers, agar plates, and specialised growth solutions in accordance with approved SOPs and research requirements
• Operate autoclaves and other sterilisation equipment, performing routine checks and promptly reporting faults
• Ensure correct preparation, handling, labelling, storage, and distribution of media to prevent contamination and maintain quality standards
• Maintain accurate records of media preparation, sterilisation cycles, batch numbers, and stock levels to ensure regulatory compliance
• Assist with completing and updating a wide range of safety documentation
• Manage and monitor stock levels of reagents and consumables, conducting regular expiry checks and ordering as required
• Maintain safe handling, segregation, and disposal of contaminated and non‑contaminated materials in line with biosafety, GM regulations, COSHH, and institutional health & safety policies
• Conduct routine laboratory cleaning and waste collection and disposal
• Support laboratory workflows by ensuring a consistent and timely supply of media and materials
• Collect, wash, sterilise (autoclave), and restock laboratory glassware to maintain operational efficiency
• Clean, maintain, and report issues with media preparation equipment, including autoclaves, refrigerators, storage facilities, and automated plate pourers
• Troubleshoot…