ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• PhD background in Plant Molecular Biology or related field.
• Experience with iterative optimisation of genome editing tools in plants (e.g. HDR in plants, improvement of CRISPR prime editing or others).
• Strong cloning skills and experience.
• Advanced problem solving within molecular biology with demonstrated success.
• Demonstrated capability to follow and develop protocols and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Track record of application driven research.
• Goal focused and with good time management and excellent record keeping.
• Ability to work in a results-driven, deadline-oriented team.
• Share our passion for sustainability and vision of a future where genetic engineering
  plays a key role in improving the resilience of global food systems.

BENEFICIAL EXPERIENCE

• Experience with bioinformatic pipelines for NGS analysis.
• Experience with CRISPR genome editing in crop species.
• Experience working with plant protoplasts.
• Practical experience with high throughput methods, such as FACS, high throughput imaging and multiplex next-generation sequencing methods.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary.
• Share of the value you create through the Employee Stock Option Plan.
• Private medical insurance.
• Great working environment in a multidisciplinary team.
• A flexible working arrangement: early or late working with core hours of 10am-4pm.
• Possibility of working from home when compiling and analysing data.
• Access to a gym & tennis courts.
• Cycle to work scheme.
  If you’re looking for a new challenge and enjoy working as part of a small, multidisciplinary team where new ideas are welcomed, then we would love to meet you!
  This job is part of an Advanced Research + Innovation Agency - funded project, subject to contract negotiations.
  Job Type: Fixed term
  Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
  Contract length: 36 months
  Pay: £43,000.00-£48,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee stock ownership plan
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Private medical insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Application question(s):

• Do you have a PhD background in Plant Molecular Biology or related field?
• Do you have experience with iterative optimisation of genome editing tools in plants (e.g. HDR in plants, improvement of CRISPR prime editing or others)?
• Do you have strong cloning skills and experience?
• Do you have a track record of application driven research?

Work Location: In perso

THE ROLE

We are looking for a motivated team member to work on Phytoform Labs core CRISPR-genome editing technology. You’ll be developing methods for homology directed repair (CRISPR-HDR) approaches for applications in higher plants. You will be part of the Phytoform R&D team and will be interacting closely with our implementation team to make sure your R&D efforts are efficiently deployed in our crop breeding programs. If you have previously been part of an academic or industry team but now would like to work in a fast-paced start-up environment and develop a project from the ground up then you would be a great fit.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Develop and improve CRISPR-mediated HDR methods to diversify edits in plants.
• Keep current with state-of-the-art precision editing in literatures and use this to build practicable solutions for higher plant HDR improvement
• Work with RNPs and plasmids as well as develop transient transfection methods for different crops and cell types
• Utilise and improve NGS and fluorescence-based methods for assessing genome editing efficiency
• Perform a range of molecular tasks such as DNA, RNA isolation and transient transfection.
• Keep a well-organised record of all data and results electronically.
• Present and discuss your strategies and advancements to your manager and team.