Research Associate / Fellow – Plant Biotechnology & Biochemistry

About the role

The School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at NTU Singapore, in partnership with Wageningen University & Research, is seeking a Research Associate or Research Fellow to advance plant biotechnology and biochemistry research focused on enhancing disease resistance in Brassica for indoor farming systems.

Key responsibilities

• Establish a proximity‑labelling strategy in Brassica and identify proteins interacting with pathogen receptors.
• Validate selected interactor proteins using techniques such as co‑immunoprecipitation (Co‑IP), virus‑induced gene silencing (VIGS) and Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC).
• Characterise the role of selected interactor proteins in plant defence by overexpressing them in Arabidopsis and performing disease assays.
• Bioengineer and transfer receptor proteins from other plant species into Brassica.
• Overexpress engineered receptors or selected interactor proteins in Brassica and assess disease‑resistance contributions.
• Document results and contribute to reports, publications and presentations.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Plant Biotechnology, Biochemistry or a related field (Research Associate) or PhD in the same disciplines (Research Fellow).
• Experience with proteomics, biochemistry and plant molecular biology.
• Strong background in receptor signalling and protein‑protein interactions.
• Knowledge of plant‑microbe interactions.
• Excellent communication, analytical abilities and capacity to work both independently and collaboratively.
• For PhD candidates: proven ability to lead experiments, analyse data, publish research and mentor junior staff.

Required skills

• Proteomics
• Biochemistry
• Plant molecular biology
• Co‑immunoprecipitation (Co‑IP)
• Virus‑induced gene silencing (VIGS)
• Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC)
• Proximity‑labelling techniques
• Gene overexpression in Arabidopsis and Brassica