Research Fellow in Industrial Biotechnology

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The role

The School of Engineering at the University of Surrey is seeking to recruit a full-time Research Fellow in Industrial Biotechnology to work under the leadership of Prof Jhuma Sadhukhan. The successful candidate will join a vibrant, dynamic and very active research group at Surrey.

The primary objective of this role is to conduct comprehensive research focusing on a fully automated fermenter system set-up, running and products’ analytical tests for advanced bio-manufacturing. The role will explore end-to-end integrated bio-manufacturing from waste resources.

The role involves designing, commissioning, and operating a fully automated fermenter system to support advanced bio-manufacturing, including the development of robust protocols for process control, monitoring, and optimisation. The postholder will conduct end-to-end experimental studies using waste-derived feedstocks, integrating upstream processing, fermentation, and downstream recovery to enable circular bio-manufacturing pathways. Responsibilities include executing and refining fermentation runs, implementing digital and control strategies where appropriate, and performing comprehensive analytical characterisation of products using relevant techniques (e.g., chromatography, spectroscopy, and thermal and mechanical analysis) to quantify yield, composition, and quality. The role encompasses troubleshooting system performance and contributing to reporting, publication, and dissemination of results within an interdisciplinary research environment.

About you

The successful candidate will have a strong research background and should have a PhD in a science or engineering discipline, with experience in Industrial Biotechnology experiments and a publication track record.

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please upload a CV and cover letter with your application on the University of Surrey Website.

For informal enquiries, please contact Prof Jhuma Sadhukhan at J.Sadhukhan@surrey.ac.uk.

Please note the university reserves the right to close this vacancy early based on Volume and Calibre of applications.

Further details

Job Description