Fermentation Scientist (cyanobacteria)

CyanoCapture; Oxford; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biotech company in Oxford is seeking a Fermentation Scientist to develop and optimize cyanobacterial fermentation processes. The role involves a combination of laboratory work and collaboration with molecular biology, engineering, and protein purification teams. Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant field and at least 2 years of experience. This dynamic position offers a competitive salary, 25 days paid annual leave, and opportunities for international travel.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days of paid annual leave

Opportunities for travel

Qualifications

• PhD with strong focus on strain engineering and fermentation.
• At least 2 years experience in industrial setting.
• Strong understanding of fermentation and protein expression.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize cyanobacterial fermentation processes.
• Integrate molecular design and data-driven optimization.
• Scale up cultures in photobioreactors.

Skills

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

PhD in physical, chemical or biological science

MSc graduates with a strong CV

Tools

PCR

ELISA

Fluorescent assay

Job description

Fermentation Scientist (cyanobacteria)

CyanoCapture is a VC-backed biotech company at the forefront of bioengineering and carbon utilisation. The company is using a recently discovered fast‑growing photosynthetic bacteria that can rapidly absorb CO₂ and convert this into peptides, enzymes and drug molecules of interest. The company is scaling up its proof‑of‑concept work to pilot trials in the US, India and Canada in 2026. The first‑of‑a‑kind technology has raised more than $4.5 m from VCs along with an additional $5 m in grants from Shell, Elon Musk's XPRIZE and Innovate UK.

CyanoCapture is looking for an ambitious scientist with a broad range of experience across the full stack of cyanobacterial engineering, photosynthetic fermentation, protein expression and assay to join our team as the Fermentation Scientist.

The successful candidate must be highly disciplined and capable of multitasking in an agile, fast‑paced working environment with high stakes. To succeed, the candidate must possess a can‑do attitude and clear judgment under pressure. Reporting to the CTO, the candidate will play a critical role in the development of photosynthetic biomanufacturing with cyanobacteria, taking a keen interest in being part of the commercialisation journey for a new, game‑changing technology for affordable biomanufacturing of critical drug molecules.

Note: This position is only open to candidates with a right to work in the UK, as we are unable to sponsor VISAs.

The role:

Your role will require you to bring your diverse technical expertise and apply it in a new field with many unknowns. This is not a typical job — it’s a challenging, fast‑paced environment conducting high‑risk, high‑reward scientific projects at breakneck speed. This role suits an individual who thrives under pressure and is yearning for an opportunity to build something new in the world.

You will play a key part in developing and optimizing cyanobacterial fermentation processes for recombinant protein production, integrating molecular design, bioreactor operation, and data‑driven optimization.

You will be experienced in the parallel engineering, expression, and assay of hundreds of strains per batch, exploring expression methods and process conditions to maximise yield of a range of therapeutic and biotechnological protein targets.

You will also have experience of scaling up cultures in photobioreactors from laboratory to industrial scale, utilising that knowledge to inform experimental direction and optimisation in the lab.

You will be a highly motivated, independent, and flexible thinker who can formulate and drive scientific objectives from conception to completion. This is a hands‑on role in the laboratory and will involve working closely with our molecular biology, engineering, and protein purification teams.

Requirements:

• PhD in physical, chemical or biological science with a strong focus on strain engineering, fermentation and protein expression. MSc graduates with a strong CV are also considered.
• At least 2 years experience applying your knowledge in an industrial setting.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills, with a proven ability to design and execute complex experiments.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong understanding of cell biology, cloning, genetics, fermentation, protein expression and purification

Essential skills and experience:

• Highly skilled in laboratory techniques, including cloning, PCR, DNA & protein gels, ELISA, western blot, fluorescent assay.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot biological and process challenges across strain, expression, and fermentation stages.
• Handling and cultivation of photosynthetic organisms.
• Experience operating and optimizing bench‑scale and pilot‑scale photobioreactors, including control of CO₂, light intensity, mixing, and nutrient delivery.
• Familiarity with process monitoring and analytical methods including OD, cell density, RNAseq, metabolite and product quantification.
• Experience with high‑throughput methods in 96‑well formats, including cloning and assay development.

Desirable:

• Engineering and assaying cyanobacteria model and non-model strains for protein expression.
• Experience managing fermentation equipment, consumables, and SOPs.
• Experience developing or using data systems for tracking samples, strains, and results.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Python, R, JMP, MATLAB) for process optimization.

Compensation:

Competitive salary commensurate with experience + incentive structures

25 days of paid annual leave + Bank Holidays. Up to 14 days of optional unpaid leave.

Travel:

You may be offered opportunities to travel abroad for short durations for business, presenting research at conferences or working on pilot projects.

Applications:

Please upload your CV + Cover letter as one document to the LinkedIn advertisement.

All candidates submitting a CV and cover letter, regardless of experience level or age, will be considered for this role.