We are looking for a Senior Scientist to lead antimicrobial screening of previously uncultured microbes for novel bioactive metabolites.

Company

Bactobio is a young London-based BioTech company (2020) using AI, genomics, and synthetic biology to culture previously unculturable microbes and screen them for antimicrobials. We regularly discover chemically novel antimicrobials that are effective against some of the biggest infectious diseases in agritech and healthcare, and select diseases to target based on the lack of current, effective solutions and the potential market size.

You will develop and execute our commercialisation strategy, communicate the potential of our platform, and initiate strategic, scientific, and commercial partnerships. You will also help us win large grants to fuel the discovery and development of our antimicrobial compounds.

Our work culture is built around impact, empowerment, and collaboration, and we have managed to attract incredible scientists from world-leading institutions, alongside operational experts. We believe that open and inclusive conversations lead to better solutions. As a result, we have created a unique work environment, where ambitious people enjoy working together to make the world greener and safer.

Team

The Compound Discovery team consists of microbiologists, chemists and natural product experts who identify, isolate and characterise bioactive compounds from novel microbes. The team works closely with software engineers, data scientists, and bioinformaticians to conduct data-driven experimentation to continuously accelerate and optimise the discovery process.

Role

In this lab-based role, you will join our Compound Discovery team to coordinate our antimicrobial screening assays and lead improvements to the characterisation of compound bioactivity. This will support our vision to deliver solutions to global issues, including the discovery of new antibiotics against resistant bacteria and fungicides to support global food security.

Teamwork

All projects are led by individuals but supported by the entire group and discussed on a weekly basis. This model relies on people to take responsibility for their own projects, be open to discussing new ideas, and give fair and unbiased feedback. We are therefore looking for people who enjoy working in a collaborative and adaptive environment, with strong communication skills and a drive to be proactive.

Your responsibilities will include:

Conducting R&D and troubleshooting of our screening workflows for testing microbial extracts and pure compounds

Designing, miniaturising and optimising primary and secondary bioassays

Performing experiments, including sample preparation and data acquisition

Analysing data in R/python

Making data-driven decisions to prioritise samples entering bioassays and those that are processed downstream

Identifying opportunities to automate the pipeline and supporting their implementation

Coordinating containment and compliance for handling of hazard group II pathogens

Leading quality assurance monitoring and reporting

You should have:

A PhD in biochemistry / microbiology/ cell biology or similar field

4+ years postdoctoral experience or equivalent industrial experience (start-up / biotech company preferred)

Experience conducting bioassay development/optimisation

Data-driven mindset facilitated by comfortably working with (retrieving, processing) large datasets to inform experimental decisions

Experience with carrying out medium- to high-throughput screening assays

Experience in working with lab automation (design, implementation, and optimisation of automated workflows)

Highly organised and detail-oriented, with a focus on delivering high-quality results

Strong self-motivation and drive to expand our technical platform

Good priority management and ability to adapt

Collaborative drive and good team ethic

It would be great if you had:

Experience with natural products and/or bacterial extracts

Experience using SQL to access and process data in a relational database

Knowledge of biostatistics

Experience working with diverse microbes

Benefits

The chance to be part of an impact-driven, fun, multicultural, kind, and ambitious crowd

Daily access to academic leaders, business leaders, and unicorn founders

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Enhanced parental leave (12 weeks maternity / 6 weeks paternity)

Enhanced Sick Pay

Paid sabbatical after 5 years employment

Flexible start and finish times within the company’s core hours to fit your preferences

Weekly team activities including board games, sports activities, and socials on Fridays

Complimentary snacks, fruits, tea, coffee, soft drinks,...

Access to 1000s of training courses through Udemy, with an allowance for both personal development and work-related training

Bike2Work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme offering structured counselling, life and career coaching, legal and financial advice platform

Bactobio

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Technical Senior Scientist