Senior Scientist Ii/principal Scientist I, Biotransformation And Engineering (sifbi)

Senior Scientist II/Principal Scientist I, Biotransformation and Engineering (SIFBI)

We are seeking a Fermentation Scientist for the Biotransformation and Engineering Department at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI). The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. A*STAR SIFBI’s vision is to be an innovation engine for health and well-being, focusing on the Asian phenotype.

Our two strategic pillars are:

• Developing sustainable, value-added ingredients for food and consumer care;
• Optimizing health and wellbeing within the Asian phenotype.

At SIFBI’s Biotransformation and Engineering Division, we drive sustainable biomanufacturing through the integration of synthetic biology and innovative bioprocess development. We enable biosynthetic routes to optimize cell physiology through growth conditions as well as bioreactor configurations to realize production at scale. Understanding how microbes adapt to changes in their growth environment (shifts in pH, temperature, oxygen levels et al) is crucial for optimizing industrial bioprocesses, as it enables the design of more resilient microbial strains and enhances productivity under fluctuating or stressful conditions.

Harnessing our expertise in bioprocess design, biocatalysis, precision fermentation and scale-up research, we create engineering solutions to translate the scientific proof of concepts into economic value.

The current position will be further strengthening our fermentation technology team with the following primary responsibilities expected from this role:

• Develop techniques, conditions, and strategies to understand, identify and test innovative and scalable submerged fermentation processes
• Interact with strain engineers to jointly develop fermentation strategies.
• Deliver high quality science holistically: clear & justified hypotheses, efficient experimentation, rigorous data analysis, factual & concise documentation and an openness to engage in scientific debate.
• Lead and manage multidisciplinary research projects
• Effectively collaborate internally and externally, and with stakeholders or team members that vary geographically, culturally, and stylistically.
• Communicate work by preparing and presenting proposals and progress updates to various technical, leadership and business development team.
• Establish and maintain strong internal and external networks within Singapore and beyond
• Develop and test novel approaches to fermentation, automation and digitalisation (i.e. continuous fermentation, digital twin)
• Develop scalable and economically viable production processes for biomolecules including downstream processing (the latter optional)
• Develop solid state fermentation (optional)

Requirements:

• PhD in Bioprocess Engineering/Biotechnology/Biochemical Engineering/Molecular Biology/Microbiology or related field
• Fermentation experience working with different microbial systems at various scales including modelling expertise (ideally in a Post-doc)
• Process-centric approach to fermentation process development and holistic process understanding (?begin with the end in mind?)
• Able to interpret data from the microbe’s viewpoint and thereby constructing intelligent fermentation strategies from expanding knowledge base
• Demonstrated track record in project management and applied multidisciplinary research/development in the field of bioprocess development/biochemical engineering
• Very good organization and time management in planning daily work activities.
• Commitment to strict compliance with established standards for safe work practices.
• Self-motivation and perseverance.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, in particular working together with strain engineers
• A constant striving for further development of one’s own abilities.