Postdoctoral Researcher in Robotics-assisted Microbial Solutions (Agriculture, Remote)

Job summary

This position involves conducting advanced research in robotics-assisted strain characterization to support sustainable agriculture initiatives. The role focuses on developing and implementing high-throughput screening technologies for microbial biofertilizers as part of a global initiative aimed at revolutionizing agricultural practices.

Qualifications

• PhD in experimental microbiology with a focus on bacteria and fungi.
• Proven experience with high-throughput screening (HTS) platforms and assay miniaturization.
• Demonstrated ability to design, optimize, and troubleshoot automated workflows using liquid handling systems (e.g., Tecan, Hamilton, Opentron).

Responsibilities

• Design and implement robotic-based phenotypic assays to evaluate microbial strain capabilities and performance traits.
• Generate structured, traceable experimental datasets with a focus on data quality and reproducibility.
• Analyze assay outputs to identify key traits that predict strain performance in various agricultural contexts.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in microbiology, fermentation, formulation, automation, and data science.
• Document methods and workflows to ensure reproducibility and utility of the research platform.
• Contribute to teaching activities, including lectures and supervision of student projects.

Skills

• Strong understanding of microbial physiology and relevant phenotypic traits.
• Ability to run and optimize phenotypic screening workflows to produce large standardized datasets.
• Experience in translating manual protocols into robotics-assisted workflows.

Education

• PhD in a relevant field (experimental microbiology).

Tools

• Familiarity with liquid handling systems and high-throughput screening technologies.