Micro-Biologist - 6 Month FTC

Organisation profile

By changing the way humans can interact with the oceans, we will revolutionise humanity's ability to understand and protect them. Over 80% of our planet's oceans remain almost completely unknown, unobserved, and unexplored. Yet marine ecosystems hold undiscovered solutions to many of the greatest problems facing humanity - including climate change, biodiversity loss and human health.

Deep is an expert team of highly experienced engineers, operations, and safety experts. We want to drive progress in deep sea innovation and discovery in order to become stewards of the oceans and reshape our relationship with our planet. At Deep, our mission is to imagine and invent amazing things that empower our species to sustainably explore, work and thrive underwater

Role profile

The Microbiologist will be part of a multi-disciplined team of scientists, technologists and engineers pushing forwards innovation in the organisation to achieve key objectives relating to human ocean exploration and delivering on the vision of advancing the sustainable and adapted expansion of the human species into aquatic biomes.

We are seeking an experienced Microbiologist to join our team at a start-up company in Bristol, UK. The Microbiologist will be responsible for conducting research and development activities related to microalgae growth systems and investigating the growth of microbes that may be hazardous to human health in high humidity and high-pressure environments. The successful candidate will have a strong background in microbiology, the ability to work effectively with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers, and a keen interest in cutting-edge research and innovation.

Role Responsibilities

• Perform leading world class scientific experiments and be comfortable working on projects outside your particular area of subject matter expertise.
• Conducting research on microalgae growth systems, including designing, and implementing experiments, monitoring growth parameters, and analysing data to optimize microalgae production for various applications.
• Investigating the growth of microbes that may pose a risk to human health in high humidity and high-pressure environments, such as in hyperbaric chambers or other controlled environments.
• Performing microbiological testing, including microbial identification, enumeration, and characterization using standard microbiological techniques and equipment.
• Collecting, analysing, and interpreting data, and preparing reports or presentations to communicate research findings to team members or stakeholders.
• Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to support research projects or achieve project goals.
• Providing technical expertise and guidance on microbiological aspects of the research and development activities.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, standards, and safety guidelines in microbiological experiments and handling hazardous microorganisms.
• Maintaining and managing microbial cultures and other laboratory resources, including equipment, reagents, and supplies.
• Participating in scientific discussions, presenting research findings at internal or external meetings, and staying updated with the latest advancements in microbiology and related fields.
• Contributing to the development of new technologies, methods, or products through innovation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• At all times act with curiosity and be comfortable with out of the box and blue-sky thinking. Nothing should be done because "that's the way it has always been done".

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelors or Master's degree in Microbiology, Biotechnology, or a related field with a focus on microbial growth and physiology.
• Proven experience in microbiology research, preferably with expertise in microalgae growth systems
• Strong knowledge of microbiology principles, techniques, and equipment used in microbial culture, identification, and characterization.
• Experience with microbial testing methods, such as PCR, DNA sequencing, or microbial metabolite analysis, is desirable.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize work, and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively communicate research findings and collaborate with team members.
• Understanding of safety protocols and regulations associated with working with hazardous microorganisms.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Post Graduate qualification in relevant discipline or field
• Extensive experience in microbiology laboratory or testing facility
• Experience in micro algae industry or research
• Familiarity with a Lean/Agile start-up company environment