Research Scientist - Microbiology

Placements24; Polokwane; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health benefits

Retirement savings options

Conference attendance opportunities

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an enthusiastic Research Scientist with a Microbiology focus to join our R&D team in Polokwane. You will investigate pathogenesis, develop diagnostics, and explore antimicrobial strategies, contributing to important projects in a well-equipped laboratory.

You will design and conduct experiments, analyze results, and communicate findings to the team, advancing infectious disease understanding and treatment.

Qualifications

• PhD in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of research experience in microbiology, infectious diseases, or microbial genetics.
• Hands-on experience with bacterial and/or viral culture, molecular biology techniques, and microscopy.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for collaboration in Polokwane.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on microbial pathogens, their mechanisms of infection, and host-pathogen interactions.
• Develop and optimize microbial culture techniques, genetic manipulation methods, and analytical assays.
• Perform experiments to evaluate the efficacy of potential antimicrobial agents.
• Isolate, identify, and characterize microorganisms from various environmental and clinical samples.
• Analyze experimental data using appropriate statistical methods and present findings to the research team.
• Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and contribute to scientific reports and publications.

Skills

Microbiology techniques

Bacterial culture

Molecular biology

Microscopy

Analytical thinking

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in Microbiology or Molecular Biology

Tools

PCR

Microscopy

Job description

About the Role

Our client is looking for an enthusiastic Research Scientist with a specialization in Microbiology to join their innovative R&D team in Polokwane. This role involves investigating microbial pathogenesis, developing diagnostic tools, and exploring novel antimicrobial strategies. You will contribute to significant research projects, design and conduct experiments, and analyze findings to advance the understanding and treatment of infectious diseases. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to impactful scientific research in a well-resourced laboratory environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct research on microbial pathogens, their mechanisms of infection, and host-pathogen interactions.
• Develop and optimize microbial culture techniques, genetic manipulation methods, and analytical assays.
• Perform experiments to evaluate the efficacy of potential antimicrobial agents.
• Isolate, identify, and characterize microorganisms from various environmental and clinical samples.
• Analyze experimental data using appropriate statistical methods and present findings to the research team.
• Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and contribute to scientific reports and publications.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of research experience in microbiology, with a focus on infectious diseases or microbial genetics.
• Hands-on experience with bacterial and/or viral culture, molecular biology techniques, and microscopy.
• Knowledge of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms is a plus.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for collaboration in Polokwane.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and annual performance reviews.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits package.
• Retirement savings options.
• Opportunities for professional growth and attendance at scientific conferences.
• A dynamic and collaborative research environment committed to scientific advancement.