Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Generative Biology Institute

Generative Biology Institute 
The Generative Biology Institute (GBI) is tackling the key challenges in making biology engineerable, and thereby unlocking the unrivalled power of biology for the benefit of humanity. GBI is part of the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford (EIT) and is led by founding Director Jason Chin.

The vision of the Generative Biology Institute is to lay the foundations for engineering biology, and unlock its potential for good. To achieve this, we must overcome two key challenges. First, we need the ability to write in the natural language of biology, enabling the rapid and scalable synthesis of entire genomes with precision. Second, we must understand what to write - determining which DNA sequences will generate biological systems that perform the desired functions. Addressing these challenges will allow us to harness the full power of biology to create transformative solutions across health, agriculture, clean energy and more.  

GBI will have sustained and substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its ground-breaking vision for engineering biology. GBI researchers will also be supported by cutting-edge technology hubs including mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, sequencing, automation, imaging, and bioprocessing. GBI will also have access to substantial compute resources that can be leveraged to further accelerate progress, including scientific compute, bioinformatics, and machine learning. The environment at GBI will allow researchers to undertake ambitious, long-term, collaborative research, and we will actively support the translation of research to commercial applications, where appropriate.  

The Generative Biology Institute will commence operations in a newly renovated bespoke space in the Oxford Science Park. The team will later move to a purpose-made facility in the Oxford Science Park, currently under construction. Once complete, this state-of-the-art facility will include more than 40,000 m² of research laboratory and office space.  It will house over 30 groups and up to 600 employees at scale, focused on solving the two critical challenges in making biology engineerable and applying the solutions to addressing the global challenges encapsulated in EIT’s Humane Endeavors.  

Job Summary
We are seeking ambitious, creative, and highly skilled Postdoctoral Researchers to join the Generative Biology Institute (GBI). This is your opportunity to be part of cutting-edge research within an institute dedicated to engineering biology at an unprecedented scale. In this role you will support an internationally competitive research programme, leveraging GBI’s exceptional facilities, sustained funding, and collaborative environment. You will design and execute experiments, contribute to high-impact publications, and play a key role in the training and mentorship of junior researchers and students. Working at the interface of biology, technology, and engineering, you will help shape GBI’s vision to reimagine what’s possible in biology.

Applications to Research Groups
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the specific research groups you select. On the application page, you will be asked to select up to three (3) research groups you wish to apply to. In your cover letter, please clearly identify the group(s) you are applying to and explain your fit, interest, and relevant experience for each one. Please note that applicants who select more than three groups, or who do not specify their groups of interest, will not be considered.

All applications must be submitted exclusively though the EIT job portal. Please do not contact Principal Investigators directly, as direct outreach will not be considered as part of the application process. Due to the volume of applications, the review and decision process may take 3–6 months.

Principal Investigators currently recruiting for Postdoctoral Fellows:

Leopold Parts – The Parts group works to engineer and model mammalian chromosomes. In particular, the group has long-term aims to delete, randomize, evolve, and model chromosome-scale DNA, all with the aim of informing models of synthetic DNA function; other ideas fitting this broad remit are very welcome.

Rongzhen Tian – The Tian group aims to leverage an orthogonal replication system for the accelerated evolution of complex biological functions to i) advance fundamental scientific understanding of molecular and cellular evolution, ii) develop biomolecules to tackle challenges in human-health and industry, and iii) generate large-scale enzyme datasets for training next generation protein design models.

Jérôme Zürcher – The Zürcher group aims to develop methodology to rapidly and scalably write entire genomes of microbes and phages and to leverage these methods to i) genetically isolate organisms, ii) investigate host-pathogen interactions, iii) provide a platform for large vector assembly towards Gb-scale genome synthesis

Linda van Bijsterveldt – The van Bijsterveldt group aims to develop methods for building and stably transmitting synthetic chromosomes through mitosis and meiosis in mammals and plants. Projects focus on i) creating scalable platforms for constructing entire genomes, ii) transferring chromosomes between different species, and iii) controlling trait inheritance patterns.

Kiarash Jamali – The Jamali group focuses on integrating novel, large databases and inductive biases in generative models of biomolecules, seeking to create next generation tools that would enable protein design of new-to-nature enzymatic reactions, therapeutics, and molecular motors. A particular focus will be on the integration of learned machine-learning force fields with generative protein modelling.

Fabian Rehm – The Rehm group works to develop and apply new approaches for the continuous evolution of target genes, and the synthesis of large microbial genome stretches. Research will focus on i) evolving complex, multi-gene traits within a single experiment, ii) building selective pressures that reward desired behaviours while minimising escape routes, iii) how to borrow principles from natural evolution, such as modularity, gene amplification, or cooperation, to help engineered organisms explore richer evolutionary pathways

Martin Spinck – The Spinck group explores biological evolution in artificial environments to uncover new-to-nature functions, focusing on evolvable self-assembling biomaterials and their applications in sustainable chemistry and biotechnology.

Jason Chin – The Chin group’s work pioneers: i) the development and application of genome design and synthesis methods and ii) combines these approaches with cellular engineering for the encoded cellular synthesis of new polymers and materials.

Key Responsibilities for all Postdoctoral Researchers:

• Design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments, including the development of novel methodologies and adaptation of existing techniques to new applications.
• Analyse complex datasets using computational and statistical tools, interpreting results in the context of broader research goals.
• Contribute intellectually to the research direction by identifying opportunities for innovation and refining research questions.
• Prepare and publish high-quality scientific papers, reports, presentations, and protocols.
• Present research at national and international conferences, seminars, and internal meetings.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams within GBI, EIT, and external partners to advance complementary workstreams.
• Build and maintain research infrastructure, laboratory capabilities, and cutting-edge technologies.
• Mentor and support junior researchers, including PhD students and research assistants.
• Translate research findings into commercial or translational opportunities in alignment with EIT’s mission.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for intellectual property generation and protection.
• Ensure research activities comply with EIT’s policies, legal requirements, and best scientific practice.

This list is not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to undertake additional tasks and duties commensurate with the role.

Essential and Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience: 

• Completed a PhD within the last 4 years in a relevant field (e.g., synthetic biology, computational biology and AI, microbial, plant and human cell biology, genomics, robotics and automation, and nucleic acids chemistry.).
• Track record of delivering ambitious research projects to a high standard.
• Strong track record in research, ideally in  molecular biology, synthetic biology, or related fields.
• Skilled in data analysis and interpretation; experience with genomic analysis, automation, or computational tools desirable.
• Proven ability to work independently, think creatively, and solve complex experimental problems.
• Experience publishing in high-impact journals and presenting at international conferences.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience collaborating in multidisciplinary teams.
• Capacity to build and sustain productive collaborations internally and externally.
• Resilience, adaptability, and enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, high-growth research environment.

We offer the following benefits:

• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electrical Car Scheme

Why work for EIT:
At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!

Terms of Appointment 

• You must be eligible to work in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. We are open to sponsoring employment visas for this role; however sponsorship is not available for all visa types or in all circumstances. Eligibility will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be based in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford. 
• During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.