"Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Synthetic Biology and Strain Engineering (FaBA)"

About This Opportunity

The Australian Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), led by The University of Queensland, is a national initiative that accelerates growth in Australia’s food and beverage sector through industry-research partnerships, advanced manufacturing, and training the next generation of agri-food innovators.

We are pleased to announce a FaBA-Cauldron industry project based at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), UQ. AIBN is now seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join this industry-partnered project in synthetic biology and precision fermentation. In this role, you will contribute to the development of engineered microbial systems using advanced synthetic biology tools. Working with cutting-edge yeast platforms, you will investigate the homogeneity and population dynamics of engineered yeast such as Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) in the fermentation bioprocess. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a world-leading team at the forefront of industrial biotechnology, working at the interface of academic research and commercial translation.

Key responsibilities will include:

Core Scientific

• Apply genome editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9) and modular cloning techniques to engineer yeast strains.
• Design engineered yeast to track cell cycle and productivity in the fermentation bioprocess.
• Validate engineered strains through molecular, biochemical, and omics analyses.
• Mentor students and contribute to high-impact publications.
• Deliver experiment results or report to our industrial partner regularly.

General

• Assist, support the project leader to maintain the day-to-day activities and operations of the team
• Perform other duties as reasonably directed by the project leader

Safety

• Ensure a high standard of occupational health and safety standards and systems, including inductions, supervision, equipment training registers, administration of research Facilities, Inventories, reporting and investigating injuries, incidents and hazards.
• Assist with developing a proactive safety culture and implement continuous improvement.

Leadership and management

• Undertake supervisory duties in accordance with 'Supervisor' level requirements and the UQ Leadership framework
• Support and/or lead the development of more junior research engineers, scientists, and technicians
• Promptly resolve conflicts and grievances when they arise in accordance with University policy and procedures.
• Contributes to research outputs, joint preparation, and authorship of reports/manuscripts.
• Other duties, as reasonable directed by the supervisor

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About You

• PhD in Synthetic Biology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated expertise in microbial strain engineering.
• Demonstrated experience with cloning, genome editing, and pathway optimisation.
• Familiarity with design-build-test-learn (DBTL) workflows.
• Strong collaborative and problem-solving skills.
• Hands-on experience in the cultivation of microbial systems and basic kinetic characterisation

Desirable

• Evidence of publications in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at conferences.
• Knowledge in bioprocess development and fermentation strategies.
• Evidence of contributions towards successfully obtaining external research funding
• Knowledge on a coding language (Phyton, etc)

Position details: Full-time (100%), fixed-term lab-based position for up to 2 years. Base salary will be in the range $82,057.75 - $109,246.18 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level A). Based at our St Lucia Campus.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Responses to the ‘About You’ section

Applications close 11 January 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-59786).