Postdoctoral Fellow – Biocatalysis, Synthetic Chemistry and Technology Scale-Up Full-time NEW

Postdoctoral Position in Biocatalysis and Synthetic Chemistry

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden | Competitive Salary & Benefits Package

Do you have expertise in, and a passion for, biocatalysis and synthetic chemistry? Are you interested in developing greener, cleaner and more sustainable methods for the manufacture of complex small molecules? Would you like to combine enzyme engineering, organic chemistry and process development to advance biocatalytic technologies from laboratory experiments towards practical scale-up? If so, join AstraZeneca (AZ) and help unlock the potential of biocatalysis to deliver more efficient, sustainable and scalable chemical processes.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. We are also dedicated to creating an environment where scientists can push the boundaries of science, collaborate across disciplines and translate innovative ideas into meaningful outcomes for patients.

About the Opportunity

This one-year postdoctoral position will focus on the development of biocatalytic chemistry and scalable reaction technologies for the synthesis and modification of small molecules.

The project will investigate clean, atom-efficient approaches that combine hydrogen, hydrogenases and biocatalysts to enable selective reduction and oxidation chemistries and enable efficient cofactor regeneration. Emphasis will be placed on understanding reaction scope, improving catalyst performance and translating laboratory-scale reactions into robust, scalable processes.

The successful candidate will develop expertise across synthetic organic chemistry, enzymatic catalysis, reaction optimisation, analytical chemistry and technology scale-up. The work will involve close interaction with scientists across AZ and external academic and industrial partners within the CirculH2 consortium, including TU Munich, TU Delft and ZHAW Basel.

The project is funded through an EU Horizon Europe programme under the call HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-01, project number 101135542, and is funded for one year.

Project Focus

The project aims to advance the use of hydrogen as a circular energy carrier in industrial biotechnology through the development of enzymatic reaction cascades.

The research will focus on:

• Developing hydrogenase-based systems for efficient and atom-economic cofactor regeneration using hydrogen.
• Combining hydrogenases with various enzyme classes to enable selective reductions and oxidation of small molecule drug leads.
• Optimising enzymatic reaction conditions, catalyst loading, substrate concentration and reaction productivity.
• Improving the robustness, reproducibility and scalability of biocatalytic transformations.
• Establishing practical workflows for reaction screening, process optimisation and scale-up.
• Assessing the suitability of the resulting technologies for future application in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

You will work collaboratively with interdisciplinary scientists from AZ and the CirculH2 consortium, under the scientific leadership of Professor Martin Hayes, Dr Guilia Bergonzini and Dr Alba Diaz-Rodriguez. You will also collaborate closely with external technology and biocatalysis specialists.

What You'll Do

As an AZ Postdoctoral Fellow, you will lead an innovative research project at the interface of biocatalysis, synthetic chemistry and process development. You will design and execute experiments to develop enzymatic reactions, understand their underlying chemistry and advance promising transformations towards increased scale and practical application.

Your work will include the development of enzyme cascades, reaction optimisation, analytical characterisation and scale-up studies. You will collaborate with colleagues in synthetic chemistry, enzyme engineering, analytical chemistry, automation and process development to deliver robust and scientifically meaningful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement enzymatic reaction cascades combining hydrogen, hydrogenases and biocatalysts for selective small-molecule reductions and oxidations.
• Apply synthetic organic chemistry principles to evaluate substrate scope, product formation, reaction selectivity and downstream processing.
• Develop and optimise biocatalytic reactions from small-scale screening through to preparative and larger-scale experiments.
• Investigate reaction parameters including substrate and enzyme concentration, pH, temperature, solvent composition, oxygen transfer, hydrogen delivery and cofactor balance.
• Use automation, miniaturisation and data-driven workflows to increase the efficiency and quality of reaction screening and process optimisation.
• Characterise substrates, intermediates and products using appropriate analytical techniques, including LC-MS, GC-MS and NMR.
• Assess reaction performance using metrics such as conversion, selectivity, productivity, catalyst loading and process mass intensity.
• Contribute to the development of scalable, safe and sustainable approaches for biocatalytic chemistry.
• Collaborate with AZ scientists, academic partners and external technology providers.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in high-quality scientific journals and present findings at internal and external conferences.
• Contribute to the supervision and mentoring of PhD students, graduate scientists and master's students, where appropriate.

Essential Requirements

• A PhD, or equivalent, in biocatalysis, synthetic organic chemistry, enzyme engineering, chemical biology, process chemistry or a related discipline.
• Practical experience in designing and executing independent research.
• A strong understanding of organic chemistry and/or enzymatic catalysis.
• Experience in experimental planning, reaction optimisation and scientific problem-solving.
• A track record of research productivity, demonstrated through publications, presentations or equivalent scientific contributions.
• Strong analytical skills and experience interpreting experimental data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and collaborative teams.
• A proactive, adaptable, and scientifically curious approach to research.

Candidates must be within 5 years of obtaining their doctoral degree (PhD already awarded), or graduate students who will obtain their PhD within 6 months of joining AstraZeneca. A good publication record is expected.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience in synthetic organic chemistry and the preparation, isolation and characterisation of small molecules.
• Experience with biocatalytic reaction development, enzyme cascades or enzyme engineering.
• Practical experience in reaction scale-up, process optimisation or technology transfer.
• Experience with high-throughput experimentation, automation, miniaturised reaction screening or laboratory data workflows.
• Proficiency with analytical techniques such as LC-MS, HT-LC-MS, GC-MS and NMR.
• Experience working with hydrogenases, UPOs, oxidoreductases or other industrially relevant enzymes.
• Knowledge of sustainable chemistry principles and green metrics.
• Experience with enzyme modelling, docking or molecular dynamics applied to biocatalysis.
• Experience collaborating with academic, industrial or external technology partners.

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the interface of biocatalysis, synthetic chemistry and process development. You will work with experienced scientists in a collaborative environment and have access to advanced facilities, analytical capabilities, automation and technical expertise.

Your research will focus not only on demonstrating new chemistry, but also on understanding how biocatalytic processes can be optimised, scaled and applied in an industrial context. The methods and technologies developed during the project may contribute to future sustainable manufacturing approaches within AZ.

The role will also provide opportunities to develop your publication record, present your work internationally, build collaborations across academia and industry, and strengthen your career in biocatalysis, synthetic chemistry or process development.

Why AstraZeneca

The position offers the opportunity to conduct research within a pharmaceutical company while retaining strong links to academic and external industrial partners. You will benefit from access to AZ's scientific expertise, equipment, datasets and multidisciplinary networks, including resources that may not be available in an academic environment.

The project may also include opportunities to work with an external academic mentor or consortium partner. This could require time at an external facility, depending on the scientific needs and scope of the research. Flexibility to work across different locations may therefore be required, supported by AZ's standard working policies.

On-Site Working

This position is based at our research site in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a member of the research team, you will be expected to attend the AZ campus regularly, with a minimum expectation of three days per week. For laboratory-based scientists, attendance may be higher depending on the requirements of the project.

Next Steps

If you are passionate about developing sustainable chemical technologies and want to work at the interface of biocatalysis, synthetic chemistry and scale-up, we would welcome your application.

This advert will run from October 6th, 2026 and we welcome your application ahead of the closing date of October 18th,