Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Parts Lab) - Generative Biology Institute in Oxford

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we are 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
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

This ambitious work demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you will join 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 that scale from lab to society.

The Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology is tackling the key challenges in making biology engineerable, unlocking the unrivaled power of biology for the benefit of humanity. The vision of the GBI is to lay the foundations for engineering biology and unlock its potential for good. To achieve this, we must overcome two key challenges: first, the ability to write in the natural language of biology, enabling the rapid and scalable synthesis of entire genomes with precision; second, to understand what to write—determining which DNA sequences will generate biological systems that perform the desired functions. Addressing these challenges will harness biology’s power to create transformative solutions across health, agriculture, clean energy, and more.

The Generative Biology Institute commenced operations in 2025 and will later move to a purpose-made facility in the Oxford Science Park, currently under construction. It will house more than 30 groups and up to 600 employees at scale, focused on solving the two critical challenges in making biology engineerable and applying the solutions to address global challenges embodied in EIT’s Humane Endeavours.

The Parts Lab, led by Principal Investigator Leopold Parts, gathers data missing from current models of DNA function, develops new frameworks that predict synthetic DNA behaviour inside cells, and applies engineering tools and computational models to create mammalian chromosomes with defined functional properties. These capabilities enable the creation of sequences for medicine, biotechnology, and basic science.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments, including development of novel methodologies and adaptation of existing techniques.
• Analyse complex datasets using computational and statistical tools, interpreting results in the context of broader research goals.
• Contribute intellectually to the research direction by identifying opportunities for innovation and refining research questions.
• Prepare and publish high-quality scientific papers, reports, presentations, and protocols.
• Present research at national and international conferences, seminars, and internal meetings.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams within GBI, EIT, and external partners to advance complementary workstreams.
• Build and maintain research infrastructure, laboratory capabilities, and cutting-edge technologies.
• Mentor and support junior researchers, including PhD students and research assistants.
• Translate research findings into commercial or translational opportunities aligned with EIT's mission.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for intellectual property generation and protection.
• Ensure research activities comply with EIT's policies, legal requirements, and best scientific practice.

This list is not exhaustive; the role holder may be required to undertake additional tasks commensurate with the role.

Essential & Desirable Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Completed a PhD in a relevant field (e.g., synthetic biology, computational biology & AI, microbial, plant, and human cell biology, genomics, robotics and automation, nucleic acid chemistry).
• Track record of delivering ambitious research projects to a high standard.
• Strong track record in research, ideally in molecular biology, synthetic biology, or related fields.
• Skilled in data analysis and interpretation; experience with genomic analysis, automation, or computational tools desirable.
• Proven ability to work independently, think creatively, and solve complex experimental problems.
• Experience publishing in high-impact journals and presenting at international conferences.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience collaborating in multidisciplinary teams.
• Capacity to build and sustain productive collaborations internally and externally.
• Resilience, adaptability, and enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, high-growth research environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary plus travel allowance and bonus.
• Enhanced holiday pay.
• Pension.
• Life Assurance.
• Income Protection.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Hospital Cash Plan.
• Therapy Services.
• Perk Box.
• Electric Car Scheme.

Working Together – What It Involves

• Must be eligible to work in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.
• Sponsorship for employment visas may be available on a case-by-case basis.
• Must be based in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford, or be willing to relocate.
• During peak periods, longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones may occur due to the global nature of the programme.
• This is a 4-year fixed-term contract.