Synthetic Environmental Microbiologist

About The Company: Deep Root Bio is an early‑stage synthetic biology company originally developed at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. We engineer endophytic bacteria to deliver biomolecules intracellularly to plants, building a versatile platform with applications spanning environmental remediation, agriculture, and biomanufacturing. Our current focus includes phytoremediation of contaminated soils, including hydrocarbon degradation and heavy metal accumulation, and a growing pipeline of agricultural and biomanufacturing applications. We are based at the JHU FastForward incubator in Baltimore and are actively building our core scientific team. Role Overview: We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join our small, fast‑moving team. The ideal candidate is a creative and rigorous scientist who thrives on learning new concepts quickly, tackles hard problems across disciplinary boundaries, and is excited about translating fundamental research into real‑world environmental and agricultural impact. You will work directly with the founding team on a broad range of experimental and platform development activities. Required Qualifications: PhD or MSc in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, or a closely related field Strong foundational skills in microbiology: bacterial culture, genetic manipulation, strain construction, and phenotypic characterization Proficiency in synthetic and molecular biology techniques: cloning, gene expression, plasmid design, and functional assays Experience working with non‑model or environmental bacteria Highly self‑directed with strong problem‑solving ability and intellectual curiosity across domains Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship Preferred Qualifications: Experience with plant inoculation assays and plant growth chamber or greenhouse management Analytical chemistry experience, including LC‑MS/MS and/or ICP‑MS Knowledge of soil chemistry, metal biogeochemistry, anaerobic culturing and metagenomics Experience designing, setting up, or running field trials or pilot experiments for plant‑ or microbe‑based interventions Experience with heavy metal bioremediation, phytoremediation, or biomining #J-18808-Ljbffr Deep Root Biolabs