Principal Scientist: Cell Biology & Genome Editing

Principal Scientist - Cell Biology and Gene Editing

Innovation Oasis

Science and Research

Plant Genetics

Reporting Lines

Sr. Research Manager- Gene Editing

Job Purpose

The Center of Excellence for Abiotic Resilience and Crop Genomics (ARC-Gen) is a partnership between Silal, the UAE’s leading agri-food and technology company, and Limagrain Vegetable Seeds (LVS), the world leader in Vegetable Seeds. This partnership is aiming to develop a world class research facility in UAE with state-of-the-art capabilities in plant physiology and gene editing, with the ultimate goal of enhancing crops’ ability to withstand extreme conditions such as heat, drought, and salinity.

As a Principal Scientist in Cell Biology and Gene Editing, you will contribute to the development of the GE-Research Unit at ARC-Gen. You will manage research projects in plant cell biology, tissue regeneration, delivery systems, and advanced genome editing methodologies.

This position plays a pivotal role in supporting the development of genome-edited plants designed to withstand abiotic stress in arid and desert-like growing conditions.

Your work will contribute directly to global priorities such as food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience .

Key Responsibilities

Explore, adopt and implement state-of-the-art technologies in plant cell biology and genome editing.

Develop novel tools and methodologies for cellular studies.

Investigate plant cell and tissue developmental processes using advanced microscopy and cell biology techniques.

Optimize protocols for gene delivery and transformation in SILAL strategic vegetable crops.

Design and implement genome editing strategies using CRISPR/Cas9 and other genetic engineering tools.

Contribute to functional genomics studies to elucidate gene functions and regulatory networks related to abiotic stresses.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (geneticists, bioinformaticians, trait experts, pre-breeders) to integrate cell biology findings with genomic data.

Work closely with trait experts for rapid assessment of plant performance.

Present research findings internally and at scientific conferences contribute to publications.

Project Leadership & Management:

Propose, design, and manage research projects independently.

Act as an expert in your domain and collaborate across research areas for timely delivery.

Drive innovation and continuous improvement to accelerate research processes.

Ensure efficient transfer of deliverables and know-how to end users.

Participate in building collaborations with world-class experts and maintain cutting-edge knowledge in the field

Contribute to project budgeting and research workplan development.

Mentor and supervise technicians in best practices for technology use.

Stakeholder Management

Key Internal Stakeholders

Key External Stakeholders

All Sectors, Departments and Offices.

Any other concerned internal stakeholders as required.

Concerned government, semi-government and private sector entities.

Any other concerned external stakeholders as required.

Required Qualification

Designing and implementing advanced genome editing strategies (CRISPR/Cas9, base/prime editing) for trait discovery.

Expert

Optimizing high-efficiency gene delivery protocols specifically for strategic vegetable crop species.

Investigating plant tissue processes through advanced microscopy and functional cellular studies.

Using functional genomics to map and manipulate the gene networks governing abiotic responses.

Collaborating across bioinformatics and pre-breeding to rapidly validate the field-readiness of edited genotypes.