Postdoctoral Research Associate in Chemistry

We seek an outstanding synthetic chemist / chemical biologist to join a multidisciplinary international project aiming to develop new biostimulants to enhance crop yields. The project will involve working with plant scientists, engineers and growers in both academic and industrial contexts. Expertise and experience across all domains is not required but a flexibility and willingness to learn and develop new skills and techniques will be paramount.

The Department of Chemistry at Durham is one of the very best in the UK, with an outstanding reputation for excellence in research, teaching and employability of our students. We are an active and vibrant department, with a strong cohort of early career academics and future leaders. We hold an Athena Swan Silver Award, recognising our commitment to gender equality. Our undergraduate programmes are ranked fifth in the Complete University Guide 2026. At postgraduate level, our students come from all over the world to carry out research.

Applications are invited for an ambitious and creative Postdoctoral Research Associate in Chemistry with a particular emphasis on synthetic chemistry and chemical biology. The research project is a collaboration between Professors Patrick Steel (Chemistry) and Marc Knight (Biosciences) at Durham, and colleagues at MLU, Halle (Germany) and Casale Spa (Switzerland) exploring the development of new biostimulants for enhancing crop yields and methods for their formulation and delivery. As such the project addresses urgent global challenges in sustainable agriculture and food security. By developing our technology, the research aims to reduce dependency on traditional agrochemicals and improve crop yields.

The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to multiple lines of work as dictated by the project needs. This will include the design, synthesis and initial efficacy testing of new analogues of the active ingredient, studies to determine the molecular basis of activity including environmental fate and methods for the efficient delivery of the ai to the crop plant in both field and greenhouse environments. The successful applicant may not have all these skills but is expected to have a willingness to learn. They will be supported in developing new skills across plant biology, formulation science, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

This role provides a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of synthetic chemistry and plant biology, with close mentorship from experts in both disciplines. Applicants with curiosity and flexibility will thrive in this dynamic setting. In addition, the project builds on a close long-term collaboration with Casale SA, a leading industrial partner with expertise in fertiliser formulation technologies. The postholder will gain insight into the translation of academic findings into real-world products. It is ideal for an ambitious chemist seeking to broaden their research profile and impact and offers enhanced career prospects across both academic and industrial sectors

This post is fixed term for 12 months, in the first instance, with the funding available from 01/12/25.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Advert information