Scientist, Biotechnology - Pathogen

About EIT

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we're on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity's greatest challenges in four transformative areas:

• Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
• Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

Explore more at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Within this ecosystem, the Pathogen Mission exemplifies EIT's commitment to transformative science. It aims to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases by leveraging whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based metagenomic and pathogen-specific analytical tools. This remit includes the development of a decentralised, sample-to-answer sequencing diagnostic platform for infectious diseases, enabling rapid and accurate analysis of patient samples without prior assumptions. Supported by Oracle Inc.'s

cloud-computing scale and security infrastructure, the Pathogen Mission is progressing towards certified diagnostic products for deployment in laboratories, hospitals, and public health organisations worldwide.

At EIT, we are seeking a motivated, detail-focused Scientist, Biotechnology, to contribute to the early-stage development of a device-based metagenomic pathogen detection platform within EIT Oxford's Pathogen Programme. This work aims to establish proof of concept for a modular workflow that could enable infectious disease diagnosis at or near the point of care.

• Design, execute and document well-controlled, hypothesis-driven experiments to generate reproducible, high-quality data.
• Optimise and refine experimental workflows to improve reliability, reproducibility and performance.
• Apply structured experimental approaches, such as controlled comparisons and parameter variation, to investigate system behaviour and identify key performance drivers.
• Investigate nucleic acid adsorption, elution and surface interactions across device materials and reagent systems.
• Evaluate enzyme performance and assay conditions, including the effects of inhibitors, buffer composition and environmental variables.
• Collect, analyse and interpret experimental data using quantitative methods to inform scientific, engineering and product development decisions.
• Identify sources of variability in workflows and contribute to improvements in consistency, robustness and usability.
• Maintain clear, well-structured experimental records and contribute to technical reports, data sharing and cross-functional discussions.
• Work closely with scientists and engineers to support the integration of biochemical workflows into device and system designs.

• PhD, or equivalent industry experience, in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioengineering, Biotechnology or a related discipline.
• Strong hands‑on laboratory experience in biochemistry, chemistry and/or molecular biology, with expertise in areas such as surface chemistry, material‑biomolecule interactions, DNA binding dynamics, nucleic acid extraction or enzymatic activity assays.
• Strong understanding of experimental design, including the use of appropriate controls, reproducibility and data quality, and the ability to apply these principles in practice.
• Experience with molecular biology or biochemical techniques relevant to assay, workflow or platform development.
• Ability to analyse and interpret experimental data in a structured, quantitative manner.
• Experience troubleshooting experimental workflows and improving performance, robustness or reproducibility.
• Good laboratory practice, including careful documentation, protocol adherence and high attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team while taking ownership of individual experimental activities.

We recognise that candidates may not meet every listed criterion. If your experience aligns with most of the requirements and you are motivated by the mission, we encourage you to apply.

• Experien…