Research opportunities in Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at Institute of Life Sciences

Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India invites applications from eligible Indian Nationals for the following project positions.

Post : Project Associate-II : Wet lab (01 position)

Principal Investigator : Dr. P.Prasad, Scientist-F
Project Title : “Expansion of INSACOG Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, Emerging Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance through Genomic-based methods” (BIRAC grant: Ref No: GCI-13012 t2t202S-GCt).
Project duration : 12 months

Remuneration : Rs. 35,000/- per month + @20% HRA

Eligibility Criteria and Job Specification : Master's degree in natural or agricultural sciences / MVSc or bachelor’s degree in engineering or technology or medicine from a recognized university or equivalent with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks (relaxation will be given as per the GOI guideline), along with 2 years of experience in research and development in industrial or academic institutions or sciences and technology organizations, and scientific activities and services. The candidate should be under 35 years of age as of January 21, 2026. Age relaxation will be granted to candidates in accordance with the Government of India rules.

Desired Qualification : The candidate should have experience with various microbiological and molecular biology techniques, including microbial isolation, cloning, PCR/qPCR/dPCR, electrophoresis, nucleic acid isolation, and library preparations for next-generation sequencing. Preference will be given to candidates who are qualified for national-level entrance tests (NET/GATE/GPAT).

Job Description : To carry out sewage sample processing, nucleic acid extraction, RT-qPCRs, NGS library preparation, and perform next-generation sequencing

Selection : Candidates will be shortlisted through a comprehensive application screening process, as outlined in the position- specific guidelines. The shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview before a screening committee. Interested/eligible candidates may apply online through the link provided on the institute's website (ils.res.in). The names of the shortlisted candidates and the interview dates will be published on the ILS website.

Note : Candidates without a national-level exam certification will receive a reduced fellowship, in accordance with DST guidelines. All the positions are purely temporary and coterminous with the project. No TA/DA will be paid for attending the interview. The Director's decision on candidate selection will be final, and no further correspondence will be considered.

Last date for receiving application : 21.01.2026
Date of display of shortlisted candidates : 23.01.2026
Date & time of interview : 27.01.2026

Note : All communication will be conducted via email. No separate call letter will be issued to the candidates.