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

Child Safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

The Opportunity

• Do you have a PhD in as Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein chemistry, Protein modelling, Biomaterials or a related field?
• Contribute to the delivery of science that addresses the global shortage in wound care dressings.
• Join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation!

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.

This project presents an exciting opportunity to directly address the global shortage in wound care expertise that currently limits effective wound treatment and presents a severe financial burden for the healthcare industry.  The CERC Fellow will utilize CSIRO recombinant silk protein technology to develop innovative wound dressings that sense and respond to the state of a wound to promote healing.

Initially, the CERC Fellow will verify an existing atomic structure of the silk proteins using protein modelling and experimental techniques.  They will then design and produce novel, stimuli-responsive materials by incorporating biologically active molecules, including peptide sequences, proteins and cofactors into the silk proteins to generate materials for wound care applications.  In parallel to the technical development of the wound dressings, the Fellow will use insights from the literature and clinical networks to identify the end user needs for wound care dressings. The Fellow will have access to an experienced supervisory team for all aspects of the project.

Your duties will include:

• Validating an atomic model of the silk structure.
• Rationally design new functions into silk proteins and experimentally validate the new functions in the laboratory.
• Producing and purify recombinant silk proteins.
• Developing materials based on silk proteins that can be applied to wound dressings, and develop assays to characterise these materials.
• Carrying out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes. 

Location:  Canberra, ACT

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

Tenure:  Specified term of 3 years

Reference:  93423

To be considered you will need:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein chemistry, Protein modelling, Biomaterials. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (full-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Demonstrated experience in molecular biology, protein chemistry or protein modelling.
• Demonstrated understanding of molecular biology, protein chemistry and protein modelling.
• 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.

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 or you must either hold, or be able to obtain, a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Candidates will be expected to commence employment by 31 January 2024.

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.

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs, whether we are undertaking research, engaging with the public or nurturing future scientists in person or online. Source – CSIRO Child Safe policy 2023

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

31 August 2023, 11:00pm AEST