Who we are: At Wild Bio we are radically enhancing crops to feed the world sustainably and promote a wilder planet. Wild plants have had half a billion years to evolve natural solutions for thriving in almost every environment on Earth. Our proprietary genetics platform harnesses these wild innovations to enhance the world’s most important crops. Wild-enhanced crops would simultaneously boost farm yields and promote gigaton-scale carbon mitigation strategies. If you’re looking for a start-up that has enormous potential for impact on growers, consumers, and the planet, please read on. Wild Bio is a well-funded, fast-paced Oxford University spin-out working from state-of-the-art labs and offices at Milton Park, Oxfordshire. We are about to enter an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a driven, and curious Research Associate or Scientist depending on experience to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in. Our values: Our work is guided by three core values that define who we are and how we approach our mission: Curiosity: We fuel our desire to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and sparking innovation. We ask questions, seek answers, and embrace lifelong learning. Community: We believe in the strength and support gained through collaboration and inclusion. As part of a global community, we nurture connections to drive meaningful impact for both people and planet. Courage: We face challenges head-on, take calculated risks, and stand up for our beliefs. Our bravery propels us to take action, even in the face of adversity. If these values resonate with you, we invite you to join our team of passionate scientists and innovators working at the cutting edge of bioscience. The role: We are seeking a skilled and highly motivated Research Associate or Scientist (depending on experience) to join the Carbon Removal Crop Trait Validation Team. This role will support the translation of Wild Innovations from laboratory research to real-world application, contributing to the development of gigaton-scale carbon removal strategies. This is a highly cross-disciplinary position working at the interface of synthetic biology, plant transformation, and trait validation, with a focus on engineering crops to enhance their carbon removal potential. If you are excited by molecular biology, biochemical assays, and plant biology particularly root physiology and carbon sequestration, this role is for you. Detailed requirements and responsibilities: Knowledge and skills: MSc with substantial practical experience, or a PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in plant biology, plant science, biochemistry, or a related field. Hands-on experience in crop transformation, particularly Brassica species other than Arabidopsis thaliana or other non-model plants. Assist designing plant expression vectors and conduct transformation pipelines Experience conducting, analysing, and optimising enzymatic assays both in vitro and in planta. Experience in phenotyping plant physiology in non-model plants with emphasis on experience of in-depth characterisation of crop root physiology. Strong experimental design, data analysis, and problem-solving skills Work with other teams to deploy trait constructs in planta via stable transformation or single cell transformation systems. Troubleshoot and optimise workflows, maintain accurate records in the electronic lab notebook (ELN), and contribute to SOPs, databases, reports, and presentations. Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary team. Be a team player in a multi-disciplinary environment, building relationships, and gaining trust from others through honesty, compassion, and authenticity. Have a curious and courageous mindset, enjoy stepping up to try new things in a changing environment, and taking initiative where there is often ambiguity. Approach solving difficult and complex problems head on, working from first principles and collaborating as a team to re-think problems and learn from both successes and failures. Want to seek out new opportunities to develop, share learnings with others, and strive to support others in their own development and growth. Challenge established approaches with the aim of improving the system. Take initiative where needed with tasks that have not been assigned. Desirable skills Experience developing and conducting surface display system assays. Experience in protein expression and characterisation. Conducting biomineralization studies in any biological system. Experience planning and executing biomineralization experiments in any system and use of analytical characterisation tools (e.g., SEM/EDX, TEM, XRD, AFM, ICP-MS, fluorescent and colorimetric assays) and translate mechanistic insights into improved protein designs Benefits: Group life cover x 4 of base salary Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution Private medical insurance including dental and optical Enhanced maternity and paternity leave Regular company socials Complimentary refreshments throughout the week Team meals including breakfast on a Monday and lunch each Friday, creating opportunities for informal networking and team bonding Training and development opportunities Flexible working opportunities Opportunity to work with cutting edge science Location We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. While we do offer flexible and hybrid working, we are also a small, fast-paced team working on cutting-edge science, and we believe the relationships forged and the work we do in-person will be crucial for our success. For this reason, we are asking that applicants be able to work on-site at least four days a week. The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.