Postdoctoral Researcher - Microbial Strain Engineer in Nitrogen Fixation- PBI in Oxford

Join us at 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, Climate Change & Managing CO₂, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics. This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs.

Welcome to the Plant Biology Institute: 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. The Plant Biology Institute will unite world-class researchers who are focused on expanding the frontiers of plant science. Our research is focused on enhancing our ability to feed the planet while simultaneously improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production.

Your Role: The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Researcher in Microbial Strain Engineering to join its pioneering Plant Biology Institute to contribute to the ‘Biological Nitrogen Fixation’ program. This initiative seeks to engineer biological nitrogen fixation into widely grown crop plants to improve yields and reduce global reliance on synthetic fertilisers.

Your Responsibilities: The Postdoctoral Researcher will genetically engineer diazotrophic microbial organisms to generate novel modified strains. These novel strains will be generated using established molecular biology and genetic engineering/genome editing methodologies to enable functional investigation of genes involved in nitrogen fixation. The successful candidate will also perform both nitrogen fixation assays as well as high-throughput microbial growth assays under diazotrophic conditions to assess the nitrogen-fixation capacities of different strains. Insights generated from this work will directly inform and accelerate our synthetic biology strategy to enable the introduction of novel metabolic capabilities into high-performance crop varieties.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in biological nitrogen fixation and microbial strain engineering of nitrogen-fixing model organisms. This role offers a unique opportunity to conduct high-impact research at the forefront of plant science while collaborating across multidisciplinary teams to drive innovation from lab to global impact. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to contribute to publications and IP generation and play an active role in translating research into real-world and commercial solutions aligned with EIT’s mission of humane technological advancement.

Additional Responsibilities: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to incorporate cutting edge research techniques into experiments. Present scientific work at seminars within the lab and at external meetings, including contributing to laboratory-wide discussions on developments within the field. Assist in mentoring graduate students and other members of the research group where appropriate. Draft scientific papers and contribute to preparation of publications. Recognising and acting on opportunities for the creation of IP and cooperating in patent protection and in impact delivery.

Requirements: Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience: Completed PhD in a relevant discipline. Strong research background and competency in relevant research skills or areas for the post. Examples include: Demonstrated experience in microbial strain engineering in model diazotrophic microorganisms, including targeted gene knockouts, gene insertions/replacements, plasmid-based gene expression, and CRISPR-based genome editing. Demonstrated experience in microbial experimentation and handling under microaerobic or anaerobic conditions. Demonstrated experience in high-throughput microbial growth assays under ambient and diazotrophic conditions. Demonstrated experience in nitrogen fixation assays including acetylene reduction and 15N₂ incorporation assays, as well as knowledge or hands-on experience of associated analytical techniques. Strong proficiency in molecular biology, including PCR, qt-PCR, primer and construct design, molecular cloning, nucleic acid/metabolite/protein extraction, protein purification, gel electrophoresis, immunodetection, colorimetric/fluorometric plate-based assays including in vitro enzyme assays. Excellent skills in experimental design, data analysis, statistical evaluation, and visualisation. Clear and demonstrable problem-solving skills. Excellent written communication and report writing skills.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience: Demonstrated expertise in protein structural modelling. Demonstrated expertise in enzyme structure-guided rational protein engineering or directed evolution.

Benefits: Salary dependent on experience + travel allowance + bonus. Enhanced holiday + options to buy additional days. Pension. Life Assurance. Income Protection. Private Medical Insurance. Hospital Cash Plan. Therapy Services. Perk Box. Electric Car Scheme. Childcare benefit.

What we offer: Newly constructed, state-of-the-art laboratories and growth facilities. A collaborative research environment with highly skilled team working at the cutting edge of plant science to create commercially sustainable solutions that tackle humanity’s biggest challenges. Opportunities for professional development including publication, conferences, spin-out generation, and leadership development.

Required Application Materials: Two letters of reference.