CyanoCapture is an award-winning climate tech startup based at the University of Oxford using GM cyanobacteria to provide low-cost carbon capture
Background
CyanoCapture is an award-winning climate tech startup based at the University of Oxford harnessing GM cyanobacteria to provide affordable industrial-scale carbon capture. Our mission is to build large scale photobioreactor infrastructures containing dense cultures of our GM organisms, next to power stations and other emission sites. Each 650m x 750m unit is estimated to be able to sequester 100,000T CO2/year directly from funnelled flue gases leaving industrial stacks, at an OPEX that is unparalleled in the current market.
Within the space of just 9 months, CyanoCapture has developed from an idea to being announced as one of 23 winners of Elon Musk’s Carbon Removal XPRIZE.
The candidate must have a willingness to take on a core leadership role in the company in order to succeed. This position requires physical presence at the BioEscalator, Oxford, UK, which is where the CyanoCapture lab is based.
Responsibilities
Lead both arms of laboratory R&D workflow:
- Bioengineering:
- Design, model, construct, and test transformed coli then cyanobacteria strains (and potentially other microalgae strains) to enhance WT carbon fixation rate and concurrently produce secreted bioproducts.
- Develop new GM strategies that could further enhance carbon fixation rate, beyond current literature research by others.
- Cultivation:
- Grow cyanobacteria (and potentially other microalgae strains) in optimised media in optimal light, temperature and other parameters.
- Perform CO2 fixation assays using large volumes of cyanobacteria.
- Stocking strains for ST and LT use.
- Downstream assays for measuring excreted product quantities
- Source and procure necessary biologicals, chemicals and equipment to achieve the above tasks.
Additionally:
- Day-to-day management and delegation of tasks to laboratory staff
- Report to the wider team of chemical, process and mechanical engineers, including CEO and CSO
- Advise the Engineering team on optimising internal conditions for our photobioreactor as we scale to a multi-million dollar pilot
Qualifications
Essential
- PhD in Biology, Synthetic Biology, Biotechnology or related discipline
- Core laboratory skills and molecular biology techniques including PCR, bacterial cloning, gel electrophoresis,
Highly advantageous
- 3+ years working with cyanobacterial engineering (the more “hands on”/”in the lab” this was the better…)
Salary
- £48,000 – £55,000 pa (depending on experience)
- Share options
Information: https://docsend.com/view/asdmip55qjduutx7
Applying Please send a CV and cover letter (preferable but not essential) to samir.chitnavis@cyanocapture.com (Co-Founder) detailing your qualifications and suitability for the position. Please make clear where you are currently based, and your ability to work in-person.
