Scientist, Cell-Based Screening (Photosynthesis Pathway and Enzyme Engineering)

Scientist, Cell-Based Screening (Photosynthesis Pathway and Enzyme Engineering)

EIT - Ellison Institute of Technology

Oxford, United Kingdom

Your Role:

EIT is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Scientist or Senior Scientist in Plant Cell Screening and Photosynthesis Engineering to join its pioneering Plant Biology Institute.

The successful candidate will lead the development of an innovative plant cell-based screening platform for evaluating carbon fixation. Once established, the platform will be used to identify improved variants of photosynthesis enzymes and assess engineered metabolic pathways designed to enhance photosynthesis. The most promising enzyme variants and pathway designs will be advanced into whole plants to support the development of high-performance crop varieties with enhanced photosynthetic capacity.

The scientist will be expected to contribute to 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. 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:

• Lead the development of a plant cell–based screening platform to assess carbon fixation and other physiological responses in suspension cultures;
• Develop and apply quantitative methods to measure carbon fixation rates in plant cell suspensions;
• Use the plant cell-based screening platform to Identify improved variants of photosynthesis enzymes;
• Use the plant cell-based screening platform to assess engineered metabolic pathways designed to enhance photosynthesis;
• Lead genetic engineering experiments in plant cell cultures, including targeted gene knockouts, gene insertions, and CRISPR-based genome editing;
• Apply iterative design–build–test–learn cycles to develop and refine engineering strategies;
• Advance promising enzyme variants and pathway designs into whole plants for functional validation;
• Drive rigorous experimental design, execution, and data interpretations, ensuring robust and reproducible scientific outcomes;
• Deliver research progress through stage gated milestones;
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to incorporate cutting edge research techniques into experiments;
• Present scientific work at seminars within EIT and at external meetings, including contributing to discussions on developments within the field;
• Assist in mentoring other members of the research group where appropriate;
• 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;
• Conduct research ethically, in compliance with EIT policy, regulatory guidance, and best scientific practice.

Requirements:

Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• PhD in Plant Biology, Plant Physiology, Photosynthesis, Synthetic Biology, Metabolic Engineering, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or a related discipline;
• Strong research background with expertise in one or more areas relevant to the role. Indicative examples include:
  • Demonstrated experience developing or applying cell-based methods to measure carbon fixation, photosynthetic activity and/or metabolic performance;
  • Demonstrated experience in engineering photosynthesis or carbon fixation;
  • Demonstrated experience in plant metabolic engineering, enzyme engineering or synthetic biology;
  • Demonstrated experience designing, generating or screening enzyme variant libraries;
  • Demonstrated experience with transient and stable genetic engineering in plant cell cultures, including targeted gene knockout, gene insertion, and CRISPR-based genome editing.

Desirable Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Experience using bioreactor and microculture platforms for plant cell cultivation, physiological monitoring and experimental workflows;
• Experience with plant gas-exchange analysis and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements in plant cells or tissues;
• Knowledge of enzyme biochemistry, assembly and regulation;
• Experience generating and preparing biological samples for transcriptomic, metabolomic and proteomic analyses;
• Experience with laboratory automation, robotics and high-throughput experimental workflows.