Scientist, Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering

We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist in Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering to join our team led by Prof. Jay Keasling at the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Singapore. The successful candidate will engineer microbial cell factories for the sustainable production of high-value molecules. The role involves synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, microbial physiology, automation, computational design, analytical science, fermentation, and process development. The Scientist will work with conventional and non-conventional yeasts, fungi, and bacteria, contributing to multidisciplinary projects across biological design, strain construction, high-throughput screening, product analysis, and scale-up.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and engineer microbial strains for production of high-value compounds.
• Construct and optimise heterologous metabolic and biosynthetic pathways.
• Apply genome-editing and gene-regulation tools, including CRISPR/Cas systems.
• Develop genetic parts, molecular biology tools, and modular DNA-assembly workflows.
• Optimise pathway expression, precursor supply, cofactor balance, transport, and host physiology.
• Design and conduct strain-screening, cultivation, and fermentation experiments.
• Analyse experimental data and guide iterative design–build–test–learn cycles.
• Collaborate with specialists in bioinformatics, automation, analytical chemistry, machine learning, fermentation, and downstream processing.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to protocols, reports, publications, patents, and proposals.

Requirements

• Recent PhD in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biotechnology, microbiology, molecular biology, computational biology, or a related field.
• Strong practical experience in microbial strain engineering and molecular biology.
• Experience in DNA assembly, cloning, microbial transformation, genome editing, and gene-expression analysis.
• Ability to independently plan, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret complex experiments.
• Strong scientific writing, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Evidence of research productivity through publications, patents, technology development, or relevant industrial experience.

Desirable Experience

Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:

• Engineering yeast, filamentous fungi, non-conventional hosts, or industrial bacteria.
• Production of high-value compounds.
• High-throughput strain construction and screening or laboratory automation.
• Genome-scale metabolic modelling, bioinformatics, machine learning, or multi-omics.
• LC–MS, GC–MS, HPLC, or related analytical methods.
• Bioreactor cultivation, fermentation optimisation, or process scale-up.
• Development of genetic toolkits for underexplored microbial hosts.

What We Offer

• Opportunities to develop microbial engineering platforms with scientific and commercial impact.
• Access to advanced molecular biology, automation, analytical, fermentation, and computational facilities.
• A collaborative and multidisciplinary research environment.
• Opportunities to lead projects, publish high-impact research, develop intellectual property, and collaborate with academic and industry partners.

Applicants should submit: (1) a cover letter outlining their research interests and suitability, (2) a CV with a complete publication list, and (3) a brief summary of relevant achievements and technical expertise.