Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

The Opportunity

• Do you have a PhD in molecular biology, microbiology or biotechnology?
• Are you keen to unlock novel flavour lipids through precision fermentation in close collaboration with an industry partner?
• Join the CSIRO Environment Team for this exciting 2-year postdoctoral role

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

Phospholipids widely occur in nature as essential constituents of cell membranes and have been shown to contribute to the specific aroma of cooked meat. Various fatty acids found in phospholipids generate a large variety of unique aroma compounds during the cooking process. These observations suggest that phospholipids rich in particular fatty acids constitute a valuable ingredient to impart meaty aroma to plant-based food protein preparations.

The successful CERC Fellow will focus on altering the lipid composition between phospholipids and triglycerides in an oleaginous fungal strain. These engineered fungal variants will be used as an ingredient to enhance the flavour of plant-based protein products.

Your duties will include:

• Generating oleaginous fungal strains with tailored lipid compositions using targeted and non-targeted approaches.
• Creation and screening of whole genome CRISPR KO (GeCKO) library for oleaginous fungal strains
• Carrying out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes. 
• Recognising and exploiting opportunities for innovation and the generation of new theoretical perspectives, and progressing opportunities for the further development or creation of new lines of research.
• Utilising design thinking methodology to plan and prepare research proposals, and applying non-academic impact methodology to research project.

Location: Canberra, ACT

Salary: AU$92k - AU$101k plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term of 2 years

Reference: 91510

To be considered you will need:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as molecular biology, microbiology or biotechnology. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have at least one year of relevant research experience, but no more than six full-time equivalent years of relevant experience since confirmation of your doctorate at the end of this postdoctoral term.
• Expertise in synthetic biology.
• High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including the presentation of research outcomes at national and international conferences.
• A sound history of publication in peer reviewed journals and/or authorship of scientific papers, reports, grant applications or patents.

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents and Australian temporary residents currently residing in Australia. 

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

01 May 2023, 11:00pm AEST/AEDT