Research Associate in Peptide Chemistry and Point-of-Care Detection at JNCASR (Bengaluru)
Job Description
JNCASR is taking one Research Associate in its New Chemistry Unit for a DST-sponsored project on a rapid point-of-care platform, inspired by antimicrobial peptides, for detecting lipopolysaccharide and Gram-negative bacteria, under advertisement NCU-EMR-177.
At a glance
- Position: Research Associate
- Vacancies: 1
- Where: New Chemistry Unit, JNCASR, Jakkur, Bengaluru
- Stipend: ₹58,000 a month plus 30% HRA
- Age limit: 35 years
- Apply by: 25 September 2026
Lipopolysaccharide is the molecule on the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria that triggers sepsis, and detecting it quickly matters because in sepsis the delay between suspicion and treatment is measured in lives. This project borrows the recognition strategy of antimicrobial peptides, molecules evolved to find and disrupt bacterial membranes, and turns it into a detection platform meant to work at the point of care rather than in a central laboratory.
Why this role matters
Diagnostics that work outside well-equipped hospitals are one of the clearest places where Indian chemistry can change outcomes at home. The post sits in Jayanta Haldar’s group, which works on antimicrobial materials and resistance, so the chemistry has a direct clinical target.
What the associate will work on
- Research on an antimicrobial-peptide-inspired rapid point-of-care detection platform for lipopolysaccharide and Gram-negative bacteria
- Work within the DST-sponsored project in the New Chemistry Unit under the Principal Investigator
Eligibility
- PhD in chemical sciences or an equivalent degree
- OR five years of research, teaching, design and development experience after an M.Sc., M.Pharm., M.E. or M.Tech., with at least one paper in a Science Citation Index journal
- Desirable: research experience in organic synthesis, peptide synthesis, purification and characterisation
- Maximum age 35 years
This is a temporary position sanctioned within a funded project. Shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview, and selection is on interview performance before a selection committee. Candidates already in employment must submit a No Objection Certificate from their employer, which applies to outside candidates.
Pay and duration
- ₹58,000 a month plus 30% House Rent Allowance
- Temporary, tied to the sanctioned project
How to apply
Send the duly filled application form, in the template available on the JNCASR website, together with a brief resume and copies of original testimonials supporting your educational qualification, age, experience and publications, to haldarlab.jnc@gmail.com by 25 September 2026. The advertisement and application proforma are listed as NCU-EMR-177 on the latest recruitments page at JNCASR.
Key dates
- Advertisement NCU-EMR-177 dated 15 September 2026
- Applications close on 25 September 2026
- Shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview
Please read the official JNCASR advertisement NCU-EMR-177 before applying, and browse more research associate jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)
Official advertisement: www.jncasr.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Use the official template: JNCASR asks for its own application proforma, and applications sent as a plain CV are easy to set aside.
- Lead with synthesis: organic and peptide synthesis, purification and characterisation are the named desirable skills, so put them at the top of your resume.
- Read the group's recent work: the laboratory publishes steadily on antimicrobial materials, and citing a specific paper shows genuine interest.
- Explain the sensing step: be ready to say how you would turn a binding event into a readable signal, which is the heart of a point-of-care device.
- Sort your NOC early: if you are employed, the No Objection Certificate is required and employers are rarely quick.
About JNCASR
The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Jakkur, Bengaluru, is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology. It is small and research-only, organised into units covering chemistry, materials, molecular biology, theoretical sciences, engineering mechanics and evolutionary biology, and it takes project staff on fellowships funded by national agencies.
