Research Associate in Engineering Biology

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The Department of Chemical Engineering is seeking a Research Associate to investigate the design of biocontrollers to advance the applications of synthetic biology in biomedicine, agriculture and environment.

Dr Francesca Ceroni is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. She is seeking to appoint a research associate for 36 months to work on a synthetic biology project being part of a larger Programme Grant in collaboration with Oxford and Bristol and funded by EPSRC.

 Synthetic biology has made it possible to repurpose cells to operate as microscale factories, energy sources, and even computers. We are at the stage where novel solution and wider approaches are needed to enable synthetic biology impact in real life applications.

 The EEBio programme grant has been funded by EPSRC to carry out a 6-year long research work that can enable the development of the foundational technologies necessary for a mature end-to-end engineering process for biological systems.

By leveraging the expertise of world-leading researchers at the three universities, the programmes aims to integrate design-test-build steps into a unique framework for improved cellular engineering.

Within this framework, the PDRA at the Ceroni lab will be in charge of the exciting challenge to design and test genetic biocontrollers able to sense-process-actuate to achieve reliable and modular cellular responses tasked for given purposes.

This post is a unique chance to help shape the present and future of synthetic biology. Given the interdisciplinarity of this project, this post is targeted at applicants with a biotechnology/biology/molecular or synthetic biology/bioengineering background. Experience with the field of synthetic biology, bacterial and eukaryotic cell engineering and familiarity with multi-group collaborations.

The main role of the post holder will be to carry out research in synthetic and molecular biology, undertake project management, writing of reports, research papers and applications, present the research at conferences, and supervise students.

• Actively plan and shape the direction of the research project


• Supervise and train PhD, UG and Masters students


• Help set up and manage the day-to-day operation of the laboratories


• Coordinate with other PDRAs involved in the programme grant

• A PhD in Biology, Synthetic biology, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering or related disciplines


• Ability to think critically and independently and to lead your own work programme


• Ability to direct the work of supervised students

The contract will run for 36 months in the first instance, with the possibility of extension subject to research funding. The post is based in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London (South Kensington Campus).

*New appointments will have a maximum starting salary of £45,593 based on experience. 

 Informal enquiries about the post can be made to Dr Francesca Ceroni ([email protected] )

To apply, please visit our website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/ . You will find this vacancy by searching the position title.  Candidates will need to complete an online application.

Further information about the post is available in the job description.

Should you have any queries about the application process please contact [email protected] .

Closing date: midnight on 24th March 2024.

Interview date(s) will be communicated by Dr Ceroni to the shortlisted candidates