Research

Some challenges are no match for Monsanto products or for Monsanto professionals. That’s because every year, we invest more than one billion dollars on agricultural research and give you the chance to take novel approaches to timeless agricultural problems. By incorporating cutting edge technology and your experience, you’ll give farmers around the world the ability to grow more crops with less resources. This is where your ideas could push the limits of agricultural technology and maybe even change the world. Are you ready for a challenge?

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Research

Some challenges are no match for Monsanto products or for Monsanto professionals. That’s because every year, we invest more than one billion dollars on agricultural research and give you the chance to take novel approaches to timeless agricultural problems. By incorporating cutting edge technology and your experience, you’ll give farmers around the world the ability to grow more crops with less resources. This is where your ideas could push the limits of agricultural technology and maybe even change the world. Are you ready for a challenge?

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Monsanto’s Technology Organization, is a multi-functional, multi-crop organization comprised of four broad areas:

  • Biotechnology – is responsible for the discovery, development, and integration of novel genes into superior hybrids and varieties developed by Breeding to create new traits such as herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, drought tolerance, higher yield and increased nutrition. The team also develops new molecular technologies that allow Monsanto to better analyze seeds to increase the efficiency of our breeding programs.
  • Breeding – is responsible for developing superior hybrids and varieties that possess desirable characteristics such as higher yield potential, better disease resistance and drought tolerance. The team has pushed the boundaries of breeding practices through advanced molecular technologies, such as marker assisted selection, to achieve these goals.
  • Regulatory – is responsible for conducting scientific studies to prove the safety and effectiveness of our technology in order to obtain the necessary government approvals globally to launch our products.
  • Chemistry – is responsible for developing our weed management solutions and seed treatments to protect farmers’ crops. This team is also responsible for the development and promotion of agronomic practice improvements for enhanced yield potential and sustainability.


These areas collaborate to create the products in our R&D pipeline, which has a proven track record of creating products that are ground breaking, first to market and profitable.

What We Look For

Candidates who succeed in this fast-paced, dynamic environment are results-oriented with a drive to succeed. You also must be able to communicate clearly and effectively while building productive relationships with people throughout the organization.

We look for talented scientists in one or more of the following fields:

  • Biochemistry
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics
  • Bioinformatics/Genome Sequencing
  • Plant Molecular Biology
  • Data Management/Data Mining
  • Plant Pathology/Entomology/Nematology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Plant Physiology
  • Drought/Abiotic Stress Tolerance
  • Plant Transformation
  • Engineering and Automation
  • Protein Sciences
  • Gene Discovery/Trait Characterization
  • Regulatory Sciences/Affairs
  • Global Germplasm Management
  • RNA Biology
  • Microbiology
  • Statistical/Quantitative Genetics
  • Nutrient and Water Use Efficiency
  • Structural Biology


Additional skills that we look for include:

  • Proactive networking and relationship management skills
  • The ability to collaborate with multiple teams and organizations throughout Monsanto
  • Highly innovative thinking/creativity
  • Proactive ability to identify opportunities for improvement
  • Agility and flexibility to adapt to advancements in technology

Students

Ninety-five percent of Monsanto's Research and Development resources are focused in Seeds and Biotechnology. Breeding and Biotechnology are the engines that fuel our technology pipeline.  

Three-month intern or six-month co-op assignments are available to give you exposure within the Biotechnology and Breeding, Chemistry and Regulatory Affairs organizations. All intern and co-op roles are paid. 

As an intern or co-op you'll be assigned a manager/mentor for the duration of your summer or semester assignment. Individual projects are assigned and you will present your project findings to your peers and the Monsanto Research & Development organization at the end of the summer. 

Qualifications include:
Current enrollment (returning to university studies in the semester following the Monsanto assignment) in a BS, MS. PhD program in Agronomy, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics, Plant Physiology, Process Engineering, Statistics, or other Ag Science-related degree

  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
  • Positive interest in the plant biotechnology or the biotechnology industry  
  • Strong organizational skills, computer literacy, high self-motivation, and a willingness to work as part of a team
  • Excellent communication and organizational skills

 

Biotechnology
Monsanto's Biotechnology organization provides summer internship opportunities in both the lab and field setting.  Locations vary across the U.S. Our summer internships are hosted within the following disciplines:

  • Advanced Molecular Biology
  • Agronomy
  • Computational Biology/Bioinformatics
  • Herbicide Physiology/MOA
  • Insect Control
  • Operations
  • Plant Molecular Biology
  • Plant Transformation
  • Protein Engineering

 

Plant Breeding
Internships (mid May – mid Aug) and Fall Co-Ops (June-December) are available. These positions work within Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Vegetables.

There are multiple breeding locations across the U.S. Candidates must be open to relocation and able to successfully pass a drivers background screening if necessary.

Plant Breeding Interns & Co-ops will be assigned to site supervisors and will be involved in various aspects of a plant breeding program. Specific daily activities may include: nursery or yield plot planting and harvesting, plot establishment and maintenance, data collection, pollination, and managing seasonal employees. In addition,  all students are assigned a manager/mentor for the duration of their summer assignment. Individual projects are assigned and students present their project findings to their peers and to the Monsanto Research & Development organization at the end of the summer. 

Chemistry
Internships at our Global Headquarters in St. Louis. BS, MS and PhD students considered.  Relevant disciplines include: Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Statistics. 

Regulatory Affairs
Internships at our Global Headquarters in St. Louis, MO for students within Database & Inventory Management, Process Improvement, Product Safety and Statistics.