Position Purpose The Research Scientist specialized in Biochemistry will support early discovery and screening activities in biologicals, including peptides, biomolecules, and microbial-derived compounds. The role focuses on biochemical characterization, mechanistic studies, and development of robust in vitro screening methods to advance promising candidates from discovery into early development for applications in crop protection, crop growth enhancement, nutrient use efficiency, and abiotic stress management.

The position requires strong biochemical expertise, hands-on laboratory experience, and close collaboration with microbiology, molecular biology, formulation, and project management teams to enable data-driven progression of candidates aligned with the Biologicals R&D; strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic

 Support execution of the Biologicals R&D; strategy by identifying and characterizing novel peptides and biomolecules for agricultural applications.

 Contribute to portfolio gap filling through biochemical primary screening and prioritization of candidates.

 Assist in building proprietary knowledge in peptide and biomolecule biomolecular modes of action, and biochemical assay platforms.

 Align activities with company philosophy, innovation targets, and project milestones.

Operational

 Develop, optimize, validate biochemical screening assays to evaluate e.g. plant defense activation pathways, plant hormone production, stress mitigation, enzyme inhibition.

 High throughput Screening of peptides, proteins, secondary metabolites, and microbial-derived biomolecules for their potential application in crop protection / crop growth / nutrient use efficiency / abiotic stress management.

 Design experiments using statistically sound methodologies to maximize efficiency and reliability.

 Execute laboratory experiments with high accuracy and reproducibility.





 Maintain rigorous documentation and data integrity standards.

 Analyze, interpret, and present results using appropriate statistical and visualization tools.

 Maintain contamination-free laboratory practices.

 Ensure proper handling, storage, and traceability of peptides, biomolecules, reagents, and microbial materials.

 Support establishment of long-term storage systems for biomolecules and reference standards.

 Assist in procurement and inventory management of reagents and laboratory consumables.

 Work closely with:

o Scientific characterization team and PPS team with establishment and running of mechanistical studies using biochemical tools.

o Early Research team by supporting other screening experiments whenever required

 Effectively communicate technical findings to multidisciplinary teams across global locations.

 Contribute to technical presentations and review meetings with concise summaries and clear visual data.

Educational Qualification

 Ph.D./Masters in Biochemistry or focus in Biochemistry from a reputed university or institute

Functional Competencies

 Strong foundation in biochemistry, enzymology, protein chemistry, and molecular mechanisms

 Experience in biochemical assay development and validation

 Hands-on expertise in techniques such as:

o Enzyme kinetics and spectrophotometric/fluorometric/

colorimetric assays, including ELISA.

o Biochemical assays, including measurement of antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, APX, GPx), along with ROS,

LOX/FOX analyses, and assessment of IAA/JA/SA pathway involvement.

o Basic Molecular techniques (PCR, qPCR)

 Understanding of microbial modes of action and plant-pathogen interactions

 Ability to integrate biochemical and microbiological datasets

 Robust analytical and statistical data interpretation skills

 Proficiency in experimental design and troubleshooting

📌 Research Scientist - Plant Biochemistry (Hyderabad)
🏢 PI Industries
📍 Hyderabad