The posting
At CellX Biosolutions AG, an innovative ETH spin-off, we develop microbial solutions to degrade persistent environmental pollutants such as PFAS and pesticides. Our mission is to bring the world's first commercial bacterial solution for PFAS remediation from the lab into real-world industrial application.
Role Overview We are looking for a Senior Computational Microbiologist to build and lead our in-house computational and molecular microbiology capability from the ground up. You will establish a mechanistic and metabolic understanding of how our bacterial strains and communities degrade PFAS and other persistent chemicals. You will translate this understanding into a computational pipeline that predicts strain performance and guides the rational design of synthetic microbial communities for specific use-cases. This role bridges computation and experiment. You will work hands-on with sequencing data (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore & PacBio) as well as other omics and analytical data streams. You will also design the experiments that validate computational predictions in our strains. You will supervise a Laboratory Technician who supports wet-lab and sequencing workflows. This is a senior, high-impact, 100% onsite role with the freedom and responsibility to shape CellX's data-inferred product development as we move from the lab to the field.
Main Responsibilities
Team leadership & supervision - Supervise and mentor our Laboratory Technician involved in the project, coordinating wet-lab, cultivation, and sequencing workflows (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, PacBio) to ensure high-quality data for downstream analysis - Set priorities and quality standards for sample preparation, sequencing, and data handover between wet lab and bioinformatics
Bioinformatics pipeline development -Design, build, and maintain an in-house bioinformatics pipeline covering genome assembly, annotation, and comparative genomics from short-read and long-read sequencing data -Evaluate and integrate the best available tools and methods, including AI/ML approaches, for genome mining, functional annotation, and strain characterization -Ensure the pipeline is reproducible, scalable, and not limited to current technologies, so it can incorporate new sequencing and omics data types as they become relevant
Metabolic understanding & PFAS degradation -Establish a metabolic-level understanding of how our bacterial strains degrade PFAS, identifying the genes, enzymes, and pathways involved -Build and apply genome-scale metabolic models to predict degradation capability and metabolic potential across strains
Experimental validation & strain development -Design and run experiments, including genetic tools and functional assays, to validate predicted degradation genes and pathways -Develop genetic tools for non-model environmental bacteria to support strain characterization and improvement
Predictive modeling & synthetic community design -Design and implement models that predict and learn from strain-level genomic and functional data to prioritize the most promising strains -Develop a framework to guide how synthetic microbial communities should be assembled per use case, based on predicted strain function and interaction potential
Collaboration, field & regulatory support -Work closely with our R&D team to align bioinformatics outputs with experimental and pilot-project needs -Monitor applied strains in pilot and field deployments -Contribute technical documentation for regulatory and biosafety approval of our microbial products -Contribute bioinformatics analyses and insights to internal reports and, where relevant, client deliverables
Your Profile
Required qualifications -PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Microbial Genomics, or a related field - Senior-level experience (typically 5+ years) in microbiology research, combining computational and experimental work -Strong programming skills (Python and/or R) and experience with workflow managers (e.g. Nextflow, Snakemake) -Hands-on experience applying AI/ML methods to biological or genomic data (e.g. function prediction, genome mining, metabolic modeling) -Solid understanding of microbial physiology and metabolism, including enzymatic transformation and degradation pathways -Experience supervising, mentoring, or leading junior team members -Excellent English skills (C1 or higher)
Preferred qualifications -Direct experience in the PFAS field, or with biodegradation of other recalcitrant/xenobiotic pollutants -Experience designing or modeling synthetic microbial communities/consortia -Familiarity with long-read sequencing data (Oxford Nanopore, PacBio) -Experience with regulatory documentation or field trials of applied microorganisms -Prior experience in a startup or applied biotech environment A note: research indicates that women and individuals from marginalized groups tend to apply only when they meet all of the criteria. If you believe you're qualified, but don't necessarily check every box, please submit an application.
We offer -A senior, high-impact role shaping CellX's computational and molecular microbiology capability from the ground up -Cutting-edge scientific environment at the intersection of microbiology, genomics, and environmental biotechnology -Competitive salary and a stock option package -Collaborative startup culture with fast decision-making, a high level of responsibility, and the opportunity to shape the world's first commercial bacterial solution for PFAS remediation
