Research Associate in Biochemical Technology and Synthetic Cells

Imperial College London - Department of Chemical Engineering

Location: London

Salary: £49,017 to £57,472 *

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On: 8th October 2025

Closes: 9th November 2025

Job Ref: ENG03697

Location: South Kensington Campus

About the role:

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London is seeking a Research Associate to join a project aimed at building synthetic cells capable of sensing their environment, making decisions and responding in ways that modulate that environment. The successful candidate will work within the Elani Bioinspired Engineering Group under the supervision of Dr. Yuval Elani.

This project aims to develop synthetic cells with programmable capabilities that allow them to interact intelligently with their surroundings: detecting environmental signals, processing information, and executing tailored responses. These functionalities will be embedded both at the genetic level, using molecular biology and cell-free expression systems, and at the membrane level, through the design of responsive interfaces. By combining these approaches, the project seeks to establish synthetic cells as non-living analogues of biological cells, capable of performing complex tasks in biomedical and biotechnological contexts.

What you would be doing:

• Take initiatives in the planning of your research, as well as help to direct the work of small research teams within the Elani group, including undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Identify and develop new soft matter, chemical biology and/or synthetic biology technologies to build synthetic cells
• Help manage the day-to-day operations of the Elani group
• Work with collaborators at Imperial to complete project objectives
• Prepare publications for submission to refereed journals
• Attend relevant workshops/conferences as well as research visits to our project collaborators in the UK and abroad

What we are looking for:

You must hold a PhD in Chemistry, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, or a closely related discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience. Multi-disciplinary expertise in one or more of the following areas is essential: chemical biology, synthetic biology, instrumentation, soft matter, and/or biophysics.

What we can offer you:

This post offers an excellent opportunity for academic career advancement in Europe’s number one hub for chemical biology and synthetic biology. Imperial College’s synthetic biology facilities are second-to-none, and include the fabriCELL centre for artificial cell research, and the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology.

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £43,863 – £47,223 per annum.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week). The post is available from December 2025 for up to 24 months and will be based in the Imperial South Kensington Campus. Should you require any further details about the role please contact: Dr Yuval Elani (y.elani@imperial.ac.uk)

To apply, please click the “Apply now” button at the top of the page. You will find this vacancy by searching either the position title or job number: ENG03697. Candidates will need to complete an online application. Further information about the post is available in the job description. Should you have any queries about the application process please contact chemeng.staffing@imperial.ac.uk. Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 9th November 2025