Postdoctoral Researcher (Microbial Phenotyping, On-site)

Job summary

This two-year postdoctoral position focuses on developing automated high-throughput microbial phenotyping assays to advance microbial biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture. The role is part of a global initiative aimed at creating innovative biosolutions through collaborative research and cutting-edge technology.

Qualifications

• PhD in microbiology, biotechnology, microbial ecology, bioengineering, industrial microbiology, analytical chemistry, or a related field.
• Experience in developing, optimizing, and validating biological or microbial assays.
• Strong understanding of experimental design, controls, and assay validation.
• Familiarity with microbial strain phenotyping or functional screening.
• Proficient in Python for data analysis and scripting.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize automated high-throughput microbial phenotyping assays for biofertilizer strains.
• Identify microbial traits predictive of strain performance.
• Translate assays into robotics-assisted workflows to generate high-quality datasets.
• Analyze and interpret phenotypic data to support predictive models.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate workflows into the research pipeline.
• Contribute to scientific publications and teaching activities.

Skills

Preferred qualifications

• Strong analytical skills for evaluating assay performance.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international environment.
• Curiosity and proactivity in developing new technologies.
• Experience with automated high-throughput screening platforms.
• Familiarity with predictive modeling or machine learning techniques.

Education

• A PhD degree (or equivalent) is required.

Tools

• Experience with laboratory automation platforms such as Tecan, Hamilton, or Opentrons is preferred.