Postdoctoral Fellow - Evolution and Generative AI

Details of the role:

Reporting to: Katya Osipova - Group Leader

Working pattern: This is a full-time, fixed term (4 years) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary: From £47,500 with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Application closing date: 16th of August 2026 at 23.59pm

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the Osipova lab

The Osipova lab a new research lab opening at The Francis Crick Institute. We are focused on understanding how animals evolve a broad diversity of metabolic adaptations and how these biological innovations can be harnessed to engineer the next generation of metabolic systems.

To achieve this, we are developing two complementary research programmes:

• Comparative genomics and high-throughput functional screening to identify genotype–phenotype relationships and reveal the molecular basis of metabolic innovation.
• Generative AI-driven metabolic design, supported by experimental validation, to predict, create, and expand metabolic capabilities beyond those currently found in nature.

Together, these approaches aim to build a generalisable framework that translates evolutionary insights into synthetic biology and redefines the limits of metabolism.

Find out more about Osipova lab here

About the role

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc with proven research abilities and an excellent publication record who will lead the development of the generative AI-based framework.

Specifically in this project, we will explore the potential of generative artificial intelligence to aid the design of novel metabolic systems. You will be working closely with the experimentalist in the lab to build ‘design-build-test-learn’ pipeline through computational design and experimental validation.

What you will be doing

You will:

• Develop, apply, and iteratively refine protein/genomic language models to design novel protein variants informed by evolutionary and phenotypic data
• Build computational pipelines linking sequence variation to predicted metabolic function
• Establish a design-build-test-learn cycle in close collaboration with the experimentalist in the lab, who will test designed variants
• Contribute to publications, conference presentations, and give strategic input into the wider direction of the lab's computational endeavours

Please see full job description here

About you

You will have:

• PhD (or in the final stages of PhD submission) in computational biology, evolutionary genomics, computer science, or a related field*
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and coding skills (particularly in Python)*
• Experience handling and analysing large-scale biological datasets
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in refereed journals*
• Experience with computational protein design (desirable)
• Experience working with cloud/HPC environments, workflow orchestration or reproducible computational pipelines (desirable)

Minimum criteria*

About Working at the Crick

Our values

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture.

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: karen.au@crick.ac.uk

Find out more about life at the Crick.

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being:
• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance:
• Back-up care for dependents.
• Childcare support allowance.
• Annual leave purchase options.
• Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks:
• Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.