Molecular Biologist

Job Description

The Role

CyanoCapture is seeking a Molecular Biologist with experience in cloning, protein expression, and strain engineering to work on chassis engineering in cyanobacteria. Working closely with the existing Molecular Biology and Protein Purification teams, the successful candidate will develop improved chassis strains for increasing recombinant protein expression yields and expanding the company’s portfolio of successful candidate products ready to scale. The role will also involve working on core genetic toolkits and testing new features of this recently discovered strain.

Company Summary

Cells are the most powerful molecular machine. What if we could harness biology to turn CO2 into useful products?

CyanoCapture is using the world’s fastest photosynthetic microbe to capture CO2 from emission sites. The core technology uses photobioreactors to transform CO2 into biomass and high-value recombinant proteins and value-added chemicals. The company's mission is to build the world's first scalable photosynthetic biomanufacturing platform using our genetically engineered cyanobacteria. Our vision is to deliver industrial-scale carbon capture at a radically lower cost whilst making expensive pharmaceutical compounds like insulin from CO2.

Funding & Awards

CyanoCapture has raised $4.5m in funding led by Kompas VC and a further $5m in non-dilutive funding. The company has won prestigious prizes including $4 million EU Horizon (2024), £400,000+ Innovate UK awards (2022 - 2023), $100,000 Shell New Energy Challenge (2022), $250,000 Elon Musk XPRIZE (2021), University of Oxford All Innovate (2021) and has recently completed a carbon capture contracted project for the UK Government’s H2Boost programme.

Job Description

As a Molecular Biologist, you will be working in a close-knit team to develop a first-of-its-kind technology. There are many challenges associated with innovation and the company is taking a big leap to attempt what others have failed to do, but what the world desperately needs. Your role will require you to bring your diverse technical expertise and apply it in a new field with many unknowns.

On a day-to-day basis, the role will involve mostly conducting laboratory projects to develop a pipeline of novel engineered strains of fast-growing cyanobacteria. You will design cloning strategies and conduct both in silico and wet lab work to see cloning projects end-to-end and engineer strains for the de novo biosynthesis of high-value recombinant proteins as directed by the CSO or CTO.

What are we looking for?

The mark of a good biologist for our team is having the willingness to take risks and the confidence to bring new ideas to the table. We are looking for the brightest and best scientists, regardless of their seniority or years of experience. CyanoCapture is best suited for a unique type of person who will flourish when given autonomy to generate ideas of their own and not be afraid to venture into uncharted territory in this rapidly evolving field of cyanobacterial synthetic biology. They must be motivated by the thrill of discovering new breakthroughs and be willing to fail often and fast to get there. We are therefore only looking for exceptionally fast learners who understand that this is a fast-paced environment.

The successful candidate must be highly disciplined and capable of multitasking. To succeed in this role, the candidate must possess a can-do attitude whilst having clear judgment. They will assist the CSO and CTO in translating the R&D from bench-to-pilot and have a keen interest in being a part of the commercialization journey for a brand new game-changing technology for affordable carbon capture.

Technical Requirements

1. PhD or equivalent in a relevant field, MSc graduates who demonstrate a strong aptitude are also considered
2. Basic lab competencies (PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA amplification, DNA assembly, cloning, protein assay, bioinformatics)
3. Experience of optimizing recombinant protein expression
4. Strong quantitative and logical reasoning skills
5. Strong understanding of cell biology, cloning, and genetics - prior experience in cyanobacteria is highly desirable but not essential
6. Competent in basic statistics for life sciences research
7. Able to reason through unseen problems using first principles
8. Able to spot new R&D opportunities and think creatively
9. Able to critically appraise papers with a sharp attention to detail
10. Previous research publications in a biomedical or life sciences discipline

Hours

Typical work week: 45 - 50 hours/week.

Compensation

Competitive salary + incentive structures.

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

Travel

You may be asked to travel abroad for short durations for business or presenting research at conferences - this is never mandatory.

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