Industrial Microbial Strain Engineer

HydRegen; Oxford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

HydRegen is recruiting a Genetic Scientist – Microbial Strain Engineering to advance non-GMP microbial genetics for enzyme production in an industrial R&D setting. You’ll design and optimize multi-gene expression systems and collaborate across fermentation, analytical science and production.

The role emphasizes practical lab work, data-driven design and high-quality documentation to support scale‑up of biocatalysts.

Qualifications

• Proven hands-on industrial experience in non-GMP microbial genetics for enzyme production.
• Industrial experience with multi-gene bacterial expression and enzyme-yield optimisation.
• Degree in biology, microbiology, genetics, synthetic biology or related discipline.
• Experience with cloning, DNA assembly and mutagenesis.
• Genome-engineering approaches such as CRISPR/Cas and/or FLP/FRT.
• Experience maintaining high‑quality laboratory records and safety documentation.
• Ability to independently plan, deliver and analyse well-designed experiments.
• Clear communication and IP/confidentiality in an industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop plasmid and chromosomal systems for multi-gene recombinant enzyme expression.
• Identify and engineer genetic targets affecting transcription, translation, protein maturation and metabolic burden.
• Apply techniques including knock-out, knock-in, gene editing, pathway engineering, cloning, DNA assembly and genomic integration.
• Optimise promoters, ribosome binding sites, terminators, copy number, selection markers, plasmid stability and expression control.
• Design experiments and characterise constructs using PCR, restriction digestion, sequencing and bioinformatics.
• Maintain genetic toolkits, plasmid libraries and microbial strain libraries.
• Use fermentation, test-expression, metabolomics, carbon-flux and expression-marker data to guide design.
• Prepare and maintain SOPs, reports, biosafety records and other technical documentation.

Skills

Genetic engineering

Molecular biology

Synthetic biology

Metabolic engineering

Data interpretation

Education

Biology / Microbiology / Genetics / Synthetic biology degree

Postgraduate degree (desirable)

Tools

CRISPR/Cas

DNA assembly

Mutagenesis

Homologous recombination

Job description

HydRegen is recruiting a Genetic Scientist – Microbial Strain Engineering to advance non-GMP microbial genetics for enzyme production in an industrial R&D setting. You’ll design and optimize multi-gene expression systems and collaborate across fermentation, analytical science and production.

The role emphasizes practical lab work, data-driven design and high-quality documentation to support scale‑up of biocatalysts.