About the role
AI summarisedThe Scientist in Biotransformation & Engineering at SIFBI will lead research projects focused on developing novel biocatalytic processes for sustainable chemical synthesis. This role involves designing and engineering enzymes, optimizing biotransformation pathways, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to scale up processes from lab to pilot scale.
ResearchFull-time
Key Responsibilities
- Design and engineer enzymes for novel biotransformation reactions using directed evolution and rational design approaches.
- Develop and optimize biocatalytic processes for the synthesis of high-value chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
- Characterize enzyme kinetics, substrate specificity, and reaction conditions using analytical techniques such as HPLC, LC-MS, and GC-MS.
- Scale up biotransformation processes from laboratory to pilot scale in collaboration with process engineers.
- Conduct metabolic engineering of microbial strains to enhance production of target compounds.
- Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and prepare technical reports, presentations, and publications.
- Supervise and mentor junior researchers and interns in experimental design and data analysis.
- Collaborate with internal and external partners to integrate biocatalysis into broader synthetic biology projects.
Requirements
- PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related field.
- Minimum of 3 years of postdoctoral or industrial experience in enzyme engineering or biotransformation.
- Strong expertise in protein engineering techniques including directed evolution, rational design, and high-throughput screening.
- Proficiency in analytical methods such as HPLC, LC-MS, and GC-MS for reaction monitoring and product characterization.
- Experience with molecular cloning, protein expression, and purification in microbial systems (E. coli, yeast).
- Knowledge of metabolic engineering and pathway optimization.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently and in a team.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for reporting and presenting research findings.
- Proven track record of peer-reviewed publications in relevant fields.
- Experience with bioinformatics tools for enzyme discovery and sequence analysis is preferred.