Research Fellow (Plant Biotechnology and Biochemistry)

The School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB) at NTU Singapore, in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research (WUR), is part of Singapore Indoor Farming System (SingFarm)—a CREATE-NRF programme focused on building a sustainable, data-driven food production model with strong industry relevance to contribute Singapore’s ambition in achieving 20 per cent local production of its fiber (vegetables, mushrooms etc.) by 2035. The candidate would be working in a multinational team at the forefront of Singapore’s agricultural innovation and food security.

The position of Research Associate/Research Fellow will work on receptor-centric signalling, with a focus on protein-protein interactions, bioengineering and transfer of receptor proteins, to achieve enhanced disease resistance of Brassica for indoor farming systems. The research will be closely linked to another project involving the discovery of resistance genes with effectoromics and other projects within the wider work package.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish proximity-labelling strategy in Brassica, and identify proteins that are proximal to, or interacting with receptors of important pathogens
• Validate selected interactor proteins by independent techniques, such as co-immuno-precipitation (Co-IP), virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC)
• Characterize the role of selected interactor proteins in plant defense, by overexpression in Arabidopsis and subsequent disease tests.
• Bioengineer and transfer available receptors from other plant species into Brassica
• Overexpress engineered receptors or selected interactor proteins in Brassica and test for contribution to disease resistance
• Document results and contribute to reports, publications, and presentations

Job Requirements:

• PhD degree in Plant Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or a closely related discipline
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Expertise in receptor-centric signalling, protein-protein interactions, bioengineering, and plant disease resistance.
• Experience in molecular biology and plant biotechnology techniques, including receptor protein engineering or transfer.
• Research experience in plant-microbe interactions, particularly in relation to plant disease resistance.
• Proven ability to conduct independent research and contribute to collaborative multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multinational research environment.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution: NTU