Postdoctoral Researchers in Generative Biology
The Generative Biology Institute (GBI) is a newly established, world-leading research institute within the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford (EIT), led by founding Director Professor Jason Chin. GBI is dedicated to addressing one of the most fundamental challenges in modern science: making biology engineerable.
GBI’s vision is to unlock the unrivalled power of biology for the benefit of humanity. To achieve this, the institute focuses on two transformative goals:
- Developing the capability to write DNA at genome scale with speed, accuracy, and precision.
- Understanding which DNA sequences produce desired biological functions, enabling predictive and programmable biology.
Solving these challenges will enable breakthroughs across human health, agriculture, clean energy, biotechnology, and sustainable manufacturing.
GBI is supported by sustained, long-term funding and exceptional infrastructure, including mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, high-throughput sequencing, automation, imaging, bioprocessing, and extensive computational resources for bioinformatics, scientific computing, and machine learning.
The institute will begin operations in a newly renovated facility at Oxford Science Park, followed by relocation to a purpose-built, state-of-the-art campus designed to house more than 30 research groups and up to 600 researchers.
Job Summary
GBI is seeking ambitious, creative, and highly motivated Postdoctoral Researchers to join its interdisciplinary research programmes. This role offers a unique opportunity to conduct cutting-edge, high-impact research at the interface of biology, engineering, and technology.
Postdoctoral Researchers will contribute to internationally competitive research projects, design and execute innovative experiments, publish in high-impact journals, and collaborate across disciplines. The position also provides opportunities to mentor junior researchers and support the translation of research into commercial and societal applications.
Principal Investigators Currently Recruiting
- Leopold Parts – Mammalian chromosome engineering and modelling
- Rongzhen Tian – Accelerated evolution and enzyme discovery using orthogonal replication systems
- Jérôme Zürcher – Genome writing in microbes and bacteriophages; host–pathogen interactions
- Linda van Bijsterveldt – Synthetic chromosome construction and inheritance
- Kiarash Jamali – Generative AI and machine learning models for biomolecular design
- Fabian Rehm – Continuous evolution of complex traits and large microbial genomes
- Martin Spinck – Evolution in artificial environments and self-assembling biomaterials
- Jason Chin – Genome design, synthesis, and cellular engineering
Key Responsibilities
- Design, execute, and troubleshoot complex biological experiments
- Develop and adapt novel experimental methodologies
- Analyse and interpret large and complex datasets
- Contribute intellectually to research direction and innovation
- Prepare and publish high-quality scientific manuscripts
- Present research at national and international conferences
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary internal and external teams
- Support laboratory infrastructure development and technology platforms
- Mentor PhD students and junior researchers
- Contribute to translation, commercialisation, and IP development
- Ensure compliance with institutional and scientific best practices
Qualifications Required
- PhD in a relevant discipline (synthetic biology, genomics, computational biology, microbial or mammalian biology, AI, automation, nucleic acid chemistry, or related fields)
- Strong research track record and problem-solving ability
- Experience in molecular biology, synthetic biology, or related areas
- Experience with genomics, automation, computational biology, or machine learning
- Publications in high-impact journals
How to Apply
Applicants may apply to up to three (3) research groups within GBI. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the selected groups.
In your cover letter, please clearly state:
- The research group(s) you are applying to
- Your motivation, relevant experience, and fit for each group
- All applications must be submitted exclusively via the EIT job portal. Direct contact with Principal Investigators will not be considered.
