Are you passionate about Plant Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology and the future of sustainablematerials? Do you want to use your scientific expertise to make real-world impact? We have animmediate opening for an R&D Scientist in Synthetic Biology / Plant Sciences.
Location: Edinburgh, UK
Full-Time (12-month contract, potential to extend to permanent)
Salary: £34,598-£37,067
About LeafyColl
The LeafyColl team is driven by the potential of plants to transform the production of structural proteins.We are a fast-growing engineering biology startup, developing a next-generation platform to produce bioidentical proteins such as collagen using plant-based systems. LeafyColl is building a scalable and sustainable alternative to animal-derived collagen, with applications across cosmetics, food, and biomaterials. Working with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and commercial experts, we are rapidly developing a first-of-its-kind protein manufacturing platform.
Whom are we looking for:
We are seeking people driven by excellence, with a strong interest in using their passion for science and plants to create innovations with real-world impact. You will be engaging with pioneering work, building and optimising biological systems to enable recombinant protein expression using synthetic biology tools across plant and microbial systems.
Qualifications:
PhD in Synthetic Biology, Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or related discipline
Experience in genetic construct design and molecular cloning
Experience in recombinant protein expression (E. coli, algae, or plants)
Experience with gene editing tools (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9)
Experience in working on non-model plants or crops.
Experience with plant-based expression systems (transient or stable)
Key accountabilities:
Design and optimise genetic constructs for protein expression
Develop and test recombinant protein expression systems (e.g., collagen)
Perform molecular cloning, plasmid assembly, and validation
Conduct transient expression and plant-based assays
Generate and characterise stable plant lines
Analyse protein expression and optimise yield and functionality
Contribute to experimental design, data analysis, and reporting
Work collaboratively in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment
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