Research Associate to Sr. Research Scientist - Strain Engineering (Synthetic Biology)

We are partnering with a rapidly growing biotech company to hire for multiple roles based in Bengaluru.

Job DescriptionResearch Scientist / Senior Research Scientist (4 Positions)Research Associate / Senior Research Associate (10 Positions)

Location: Bengaluru

ProfileSynthetic Biology, Molecular Biologist, Pathway engineering, Genetic engineering, Fungal genetics, Clone development Qualification & Experience1) Research Scientist / Senior Research ScientistM.Sc. with 6-10 years of experiencePh.D. with 2-5 years of experienceDomain: Molecular Biology / Strain Engineering2) Research Associate / Senior Research AssociateM.Sc. with 0-6 years of experienceDomain: Molecular Biology / Strain Engineering

Functional Responsibilities(Applicable to both roles as per project requirements)• Primary responsibility for the design, execution, and delivery of genetic engineering projects, including cloning, heterologous expression, and functional evaluation of recombinant proteins in multiple microbial and fungal host systems such as E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Yarrowia lipolytica, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris, Trichoderma, and Aspergillus spp.• Lead and execute R&D programs in synthetic biology, encompassing gene design, codon optimization, vector construction, strain development, and expression optimization for enzymes and pathways of industrial relevance.• Manage a team of 2 to 3 research associates for single or multiple projects.• Role requires full-time, hands-on bench work, with end-to-end ownership of cloning, transformation, expression, screening, and validation experiments.• Demonstrated hands-on expertise in molecular biology and bioanalytical techniques, including end-point PCR, RT-PCR/qPCR, agarose gel electrophoresis (horizontal and vertical), SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, host cell protein (HCP) assays, and related analytical tools.• Experience in metabolic and pathway engineering, including gene overexpression and promoter engineering, gene knock-out/knock-down strategies, stable genomic integration (single and multi-copy), and controlled upregulation and downregulation of gene expression.• Strong working knowledge of advanced DNA assembly and genome editing techniques, including Gibson Assembly, Golden Gate cloning, and CRISPR-Cas9-based genome engineering across bacterial, yeast, and fungal hosts.• Routine execution of core molecular biology workflows, including PCR amplification, plasmid construction and isolation, restriction analysis, microbial cultivation, strain maintenance, and expression screening in shake-flask and lab-scale systems.• Perform data analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of experimental results; generate technical reports, SOPs, protocols, and presentations aligned with internal quality and compliance requirements.• Support strain performance evaluation through protein expression analysis, functional assays, and correlation of genotype with phenotype.• Secondary responsibilities include project documentation management, ensuring regulatory, quality, and data integrity compliance, and training junior team members on SOPs, experimental workflows, analytical methods, and laboratory documentation practices.• Demonstrated strong analytical, troubleshooting, and experimental reasoning skills, with the ability to independently plan experiments, interpret results, and propose data-driven next steps.• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in multidisciplinary R&D teams, supporting synthetic biology, enzyme engineering, and process development objectives.