Main Purpose of the Job

Climate change is outpacing our ability to breed crops that can withstand rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and other environmental stresses. Synthetic biology offers a powerful way to meet this challenge by engineering plants with climate-resilient traits. However, progress is limited by the small number of reliable promoters that allow scientists to control when, where, and how strongly genes are switched on in plants. Predictive AI models can now help design promoters with specific expression properties, but testing whether these designs work in living plants remains slow and difficult.

This project will address that bottleneck by using a new system to test AI-designed promoters in whole plants at greater scale and in a more controlled and predictable way. By combining AI-guided design with hands-on plant synthetic biology, the project will help build a platform for creating reliable genetic tools and accelerating the engineering of climate-resilient crops.

Key Relationships

The post-holder will be embedded within the engineering biology faculty at the Earlham Institute, including the labs of Prof. Anthony Hall and Dr Sarah Guiziou, working with team members, as well as across other faculty groups as appropriate for the project and skills development. Career Development Fellow Dr Will Shaw will be the primary supervisor for the project, guiding the project and teaching experimental techniques across molecular biology and plant science. They will also interact with other engineering biology researchers, including the Earlham Institute Biofoundry, attend weekly plant engineering biology and plant genomics meetings, and a monthly journal club. The post-holder will work closely with the JIF PhD cohort.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Construct AI-guided synthetic promoter library driving luciferase reporter, introduce into plants and validate successful stable transformants, and characterise promoter behaviour using whole-plant luminescence imaging.

45

Develop transferable synthetic biology and plant biology skills that will allow the post holder to start a career in plant and/or synthetic biology research.

45

Attend talks and seminars, contribute to lab meetings and other activities as agreed with line manager.

5

Contribute and engage with the student community at the Earlham Institute.

5

As agreed with line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the role.

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

Completed or expect to complete undergraduate or Masters

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Evidence of significant academic achievement

Essential

Interest in plant sciences and engineering biology

Essential

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience in molecular biology/synthetic biology

Desirable

Experience in plant science

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Ability to work independently and prioritise own workload

Essential

Good communication skills, both written and verbal

Essential

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well as part of a team

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Demonstrate how this internship contributes to start and develop the candidate’s future career in data-driven plant biology

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Earlham Institute

About the Earlham Institute
The Earlham Institute harnesses the power of data-driven biology to accelerate solutions for health, biodiversity, and food security. Based at Norwich Research Park, the Earlham Institute is one of eight institutes strategically funded by BBSRC.

Our science combines world-class technology, interdisciplinary expertise, and training and development across genomics, engineering biology and data science, to decode the scale and complexity of living systems.

We believe we can achieve more if we work together. That's why we collaborate with the global science community and industry partners, while also inspiring the next generation of scientists and technical specialists.

Our Science
Earlham Institute scientists specialise in developing and testing the latest tools and approaches needed to decode living systems and make biological predictions.

We are home to state-of-the-art facilities and technology, creating a unique combination of expertise and infrastructure.

We have dedicated laboratories for genome sequencing, single-cell analysis, engineering biology, and large-scale automation; as well as one of the largest supercomputing facilities for life science research in Europe.

Our Advanced Training team also provides access to specialised scientific training to upskill the next generation of research and technical staff.

Our Culture
Our collegiate and innovative research environment comes with significant support, including a commitment to your professional development, research and administrative assistance, and opportunities to build collaborations with scientists and industry on the Norwich Research Park, across the UK, and internationally.

We are committed to building and maintaining a workplace that treats every individual with dignity and respect. By taking an active approach to fostering inclusivity, diversity, equality and accessibility, we empower our community to achieve more.

The Institute is also home to talented technical and operational staff, whose invaluable contributions enable our science to have the maximum impact. We aim to recognise, reward, and develop all staff and students so that every individual feels able to achieve their best with us.

We work hard to nurture an engaged and positive workplace, centred on core values that include openness, technical excellence, and collaboration. We attract staff from around the world who contribute to - and benefit from - an environment that enables them to deliver world-class science alongside a supportive and social community.

For more information about working at the Earlham Institute, please click here.

Further Information:

• Our Vision and Mission
• Our Strategy
• Our Culture
• Life at Earlham Institute

Department

Research Faculty

Group Details

The Predoctoral Intern will join the Engineering Biology group at the Earlham Institute, with primary supervision from Career Development Fellow Dr Will Shaw and working closely with the groups of Prof. Anthony Hall and Dr Sarah Guiziou. The intern will contribute to Earlham Institute’s strengths in AI/ML and engineering biology by helping to develop new workflows that bring these approaches together for more predictable plant engineering.

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Predoctoral Internship in Plant Synthetic Biology

Applications are invited for a Predoctoral Intern to join the Engineering Biology faculty at the Earlham Institute in Norwich, UK. The intern will be primarily supervised by Career Development Fellow Dr Will Shaw and will work closely with the research groups of Prof. Anthony Hall and Dr Sarah Guiziou.

Background:
The Predoctoral Intern will work on engineering biology approaches for plant sciences, constructing and testing AI-designed promoters in whole plants to advance our ability to engineer climate-resilient crops.

The role:
The applicant will join a collaborative environment at the interface of plant synthetic biology and computational biology, contributing to a project that links AI-guided DNA design with experimental validation in plants. They will gain training across the full design-build-test-learn cycle and develop the technical and conceptual foundations for a research career in these fields. The intern will gain hands-on experience in genetic construct design and assembly, plant transformation, genotyping, and luciferase reporter assays. Through this, they will learn how promoter activity can be measured quantitatively across whole plants and connected to synthetic regulatory design.

Alongside wet-lab training, the intern will be introduced to AI-guided DNA design and learn how computational models generate synthetic regulatory elements with predicted expression behaviours. They will also develop broader research skills in experimental design, troubleshooting, data analysis, and scientific communication. The applicant will be embedded in an active research community through weekly plant engineering biology and plant genomics meetings, and a monthly journal club. They will have opportunities to present their work, lead a journal club, and receive support in applying for their next position.

The ideal candidate:
We are seeking to recruit a Predoctoral Intern in data-driven plant synthetic biology to join our cohort of PhD students and interns at the Earlham Institute. Applications are encouraged from undergraduate or master's students who have completed - or expect to complete - an undergraduate degree in biology, bioengineering, or plant science prior to commencing the internship.

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in molecular biology and engineering biology. Experience in basic molecular biology and plant science would be advantageous but is not essential. Within their application, we encourage candidates to highlight how this internship will help launch and develop their future career.

Additional information:
Salary on appointment will be within the range £24,455 to £25,000 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time post for a contract of 12 months.

A small travel grant will be provided for any non-UK interns (to the value of £1000) to enable them to travel to the UK. Any costs above this will need to be funded by the Intern, including any visa costs. 

Interviews will be held on the 19th August 2026.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

The closing date for applications will be 10th August 2026.