Founding Protein Engineer

The company 

Phase Biolabs is developing gas fermentation technology to convert industrial CO2 into useful products. We’re on a mission to decarbonise heavy industry and recycle more than 1 gigaton of CO2 by 2050. We’re working on optimising the microorganisms that catalyse our process of converting CO2 into chemicals and e-fuels.

We’re a venture funded biotech start-up who have just closed our seed investment round. We are backed by leading climate tech investors as well as Y Combinator (W22) and are building our founding team. We are building a company around our core values of collaboration, healthy boundaries, personal development, respect, humility and hard work.


Your role

You will be part of the multi-disciplinary founding R&D team and will be charged with leading protein engineering efforts. Your key task will be to modify proteins involved with key functions of the cell to drive desired interactions using a variety of synthetic biology approaches. You will collaborate with other members of the R&D team and integrate your work with other innovations into production strains (biocatalysts). Together you will improve and optimise the biocatalysts through iterative development.

As part of the founding R&D team you will have the opportunity to grow professionally and take on new responsibilities, including leading new teams as the company grows. Your work will be varied and dynamic with new challenges every day. 


You must:

  • Have a deep understanding of protein structure, protein folding and protein:protein interactions.

  • Be experienced expressing and purifying enzymes.

  • Have extensive in silico and computational skills for 3D modelling of proteins and their substructures (clefts, pockets, active site etc.).

  • Be experienced with protein expression in microbes, protein purification and its optimisation.

  • Have a proven ability using site directed mutagenesis and directed evolution approaches to improve desired characteristics.

  • Be able to generate mutant libraries and screen them for desirable traits using high throughput methods.

  • Have excellent planning, organisational and communication skills.


Desirables (non-essential):

  • Mass Spectroscopy. 

  • Statistical analysis software (e.g. using python or R for scripting structural base alignments and data processing).

  • Understanding of bioenergetics.


Your responsibilities

As the founding Protein engineer, you will be tasked with the following: 

  • Independent experimental design and execution as part of the R&D roadmap. 

  • Directed evolution and rational design of key proteins to drive desirable interactions.

  • Creating libraries and screening for desired properties using existing or new assays. 

  • Create and use high throughput methods for rapid iteration of protein engineering workflows. 

  • Characterisation of protein functions. 

  • Collaborate with other members of the R&D team to integrate your innovation into the final product.

Qualifications

You will either have a:

  • Graduate degree (MSc + relevant experience or PhD) in molecular biology, synthetic biology, bioengineering, biochemistry or related field, or

  • Undergraduate degree in related field with extensive industry experience.

 
Some practical details: 

  • The job is based in Nottingham.

  • Full-time, 2 year contract with option to extend. 

  • 40 hours / week with flexible working hours around core company times (10am - 4pm).

  • 28 days paid holiday. 

  • Salary £40,000 - £50,000. 

  • Bonuses tied to company milestones. 

  • Equity compensation via employee share option plan.

  • Company perks tailored to you (e.g. gym memberships).

  • You must be able to demonstrate the right to work in the UK.


The hiring process:

The hiring process will consist of an initial CV screen. If successful you will be invited to an interview where we will find out more about you and your skills, before we make a decision, however, a second interview may be required. References will be required before a formal offer is made. We endeavour to provide feedback to all interviewees. Applications are being considered on an rolling basis.


Start time:

Start time is flexible but ideally July - August 2022. 


How to apply:

To apply, please email hr@phasebiolabs.com with your CV and cover letter explaining why you are interested in the jobs, why we should hire you and how you’ve demonstrated the key skills we’re looking for.