High-throughput Genotyping - Abingdon-On-Thames, England - Wild Bioscience

Description

Who we are:

At Wild Bio we are radically enhancing crops to feed the world sustainably and promote a wilder planet. Wild plants have had half a billion years to evolve natural solutions for thriving in almost every environment on Earth. Our proprietary genetics platform harnesses these wild innovations to enhance the world's most important crops. Wild-enhanced crops would simultaneously boost farm yields and promote gigaton-scale carbon mitigation strategies. If you're looking for a start-up that has enormous potential for impact on growers, consumers, and the planet, please read on.

Wild Bio is a well-funded, fast-paced Oxford University spin-out working from state-of-the-art labs and offices at Milton Park, Oxfordshire. We are about to enter an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a driven, and curious Research Associate or Scientist (DOE) to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in.

Our values:

Our work is guided by three core values that define who we are and how we approach our mission:

• Curiosity:
  We fuel our desire to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and sparking innovation. We ask questions, seek answers, and embrace lifelong learning.
• Community:
  We believe in the strength and support gained through collaboration and inclusion. As part of a global community, we nurture connections to drive meaningful impact for both people and planet.
• Courage:
  We face challenges head-on, take calculated risks, and stand up for our beliefs. Our bravery propels us to take action, even in the face of adversity.

If these values resonate with you, we invite you to join our team of passionate scientists and innovators working at the cutting edge of bioscience.

The role:

We are looking for a highly motivated scientist or research associate with expertise in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and genotyping to join our Trait Validation team. If you are passionate about molecular biology and excited to work at the interface of assay development, automation, data analysis, and innovative NGS technologies, this role is for you.

The ideal candidate will combine strong wet lab skills with experience in generating and analysing NGS and other sequencing data, along with a drive to support our genotyping pipelines in key crops such as wheat, soybean, and maize. This role will be central to delivering accurate and timely genotyping data to aid decision making in our innovative trait development pipeline.

Detailed responsibilities:

• Work closely with bioinformaticians to design robust genotyping assays tailored to complex crop genomes, with a focus on NGS-based approaches.
• Design, execute, and maintain expertise in end-to-end sequencing workflows, including library preparation, sample pooling, sequencing (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, PacBio), and data analysis using established pipelines.
• Analyse sequencing data, adapting methods to address specific research questions or genome complexities (e.g., polyploid wheat), and deliver actionable insights.
• Stay current with emerging sequencing technologies and methodologies, integrating improvements to enhance performance, throughput, and cost-efficiency.
• Contribute to molecular biology workflows such as primer/probe design, RNA extraction, and enzyme assays.
• Troubleshoot and optimize workflows, maintain accurate records in the electronic lab notebook (ELN), and contribute to SOPs, databases, reports, and presentations.
• Look for ways to improve throughput and speed, including developing new assays and implement automation where needed.
• Work closely with scientists and agronomists to integrate genotyping data into broader trait development strategies.
• Support and mentor colleagues, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and knowledge-sharing team environment.

Knowledge and skills:

• MSc with practical experience or PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in genomics, molecular biology, genetics, synthetic biology, or cell biology.
• Hands-on experience with applying next-generation sequencing technologies (e.g., Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, PacBio).
• Hands-on experience in plant genomics OR practical experience working with polyploid genomes.
• Working knowledge of NGS data analysis pipelines, ideally with some basic experience in R, Python, or similar tools; ability to interpret and draw conclusions from sequencing data.
• Comfortable collaborating with subject matter experts to improve workflows, from bioinformatics to plant physiology scientists.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team, with strong problem-solving and communication skills.
• Able to deliver and communicate clear, actionable insights from complex data.
• Have a curious and courageous mindset, enjoy stepping up to try new things in a changing environment, and taking initiative where there is often ambiguity.
• Approach solving difficult and complex problems head on, working from first principles and collaborating as a team to re-think problems and learn from both successes and failures.
• Want to seek out new opportunities to develop, share learnings with others, and strive to support others in their own development and growth.
• Challenge established approaches with the aim of improving the system.
• Take initiative where needed with tasks that have not been assigned.
• Experience working with automation or other high throughput (HTP) workflows.

Benefits:

• Group life cover x 3 of base salary
• Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Regular company socials
• Complimentary refreshments throughout the week
• Team meals including breakfast on a Monday and lunch each Friday, creating opportunities for informal networking and team bonding
• Training and development opportunities
• Flexible working opportunities
• Opportunity to work with cutting edge science

Location

We're headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. While we do offer flexible and hybrid working, we are also a small, fast-paced team working on cutting-edge science, and we believe the relationships forged and the work we do in-person will be crucial for our success. For this reason, we are asking that applicants be able to work on-site.

The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.