At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a team to innovate in plant biology and improve global food production.
- Company: EIT's Plant Biology Institute, focused on impactful scientific research.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous holiday, private medical insurance, and employee discounts.
- Other info: Collaborate with world-class researchers and access state-of-the-art facilities.
- Why this job: Make a real-world impact on food security and climate change through cutting-edge research.
- Qualifications: PhD in molecular biology or related field with expertise in synthetic biology.
The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.
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 visionaryscientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovatorsto 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.
Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society.
Explore more at www. eit. org.
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.
By embedding cutting-edge plant science research within an organisation that is focused on solving global challenges at scale, we aim to accelerate the timeline from discovery to global impact.
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.
Your Role
EIT is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Scientist-level
Synthetic Biologist in plant synthetic biology to join its pioneering Plant Biology Institute to contribute to the ‘Photosynthesis and Yield’ programme.
This initiative seeks to advance fundamental and applied science in photosynthesis, carbon assimilation, and crop yield improvement to translate findings into commercial opportunities aligned with EIT’s mission of humane and sustainable innovation.
The successful candidate will play a key role in designing and conducting experiments aligned with stage-gated milestones in our plant engineering program.
They will bring strong expertise in photosynthesis, carbon fixation, or yield-related pathways, combined with hands‑on experience in genome editing, directed evolution, or hypothesis‑driven engineering.
They should be comfortable changing how biological systems behave, not just describing them.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in synthetic biology and plant biochemistry.
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.
Your Responsibilities
- Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to achieve research goals.
- Design, conduct and analyse evolution campaigns.
- Establish new selection schemes suitable for optimization of photosynthetic proteins.
- Advance protein engineering techniques.
- Provide expert advice for strategic decision making.
- Assist in the translation of scientific results into commercial opportunities consistent with the EIT humane endeavours.
- Recognise and act on opportunities for the creation of IP and cooperating in patent protection and in impact delivery.
Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience
- Ph D in molecular biology, biochemistry or related discipline.
• Demonstrated competency in relevant research skills including
- Standard molecular biology techniques.
- Biochemical analysis including protein purification and in vitro assays.
- Bioinformatic analysis and processing genomic data.
- Knowledge of synthetic biology and high‑throughput experimental approaches.
- Ability to conduct independent research to the highest standard.
- Ability to perform data analysis, statistical evaluation, and visualisation.
Desirable Skills, Qualifications & Experience
- Experience characterising transgenic plants.
- Experience with gene editing.
- Knowledge of plant physiology.
- Salary dependent on experience + travel allowance + bonus
- Enhanced holiday.
Our annual leave allowance is 25 days plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 days between Christmas and New Year.
You will also have the opportunity to purchase an additional 5 days annual leave in January and July.
- Pension - Employer contribution 7.5%, minimum employee contribution 5%
- Life Assurance.
- Income Protection
- Private Medical Insurance as standard for you, your partner and any dependents. Including hospital Cash Plan
- Employee discounts
- Electric car scheme
- Nursery Salary Sacrifice scheme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Family Planning
- Neurodiversity support including advise and assessments
- Coaching & Therapy services
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Synthetic Biologist (Yield and Photosynthesis) - Plant Biology Institute in Oxford employer: Ellison Institute of Technology
At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration in the heart of Oxford. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through access to state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities to work alongside world-class researchers, enabling you to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in plant science and sustainable agriculture. With a comprehensive benefits package, including enhanced holiday allowances and private medical insurance, EIT is dedicated to supporting your well-being while you make a meaningful impact on global challenges.
Contact Details:
Ellison Institute of Technology Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Synthetic Biologist (Yield and Photosynthesis) - Plant Biology Institute in Oxford
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We think you need these skills to ace Synthetic Biologist (Yield and Photosynthesis) - Plant Biology Institute in Oxford
Some tips for your application 🫡
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How to prepare for a job interview at Ellison Institute of Technology
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