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PhD Scholarship in “Genome-level insight into the dynamics of a model coral microbiome” or “Uncovering new microbial players and processes in the global methane cycle”

The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE) is a strategic research initiative established at the University of Queensland in 2010 under the direction of Professor Phil Hugenholtz and Professor Gene Tyson and has since become a globally recognised hub of culture-independent microbiology and genomics. It provides a focal point for sequence-based analysis of microbial communities and builds strength in this space not only in Australia, but the southern hemisphere as a whole.

Role A

The successful candidate will be working under the direct supervision of Professor Gene Tyson as part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project, entitled Genome-level insight into the dynamics of a model coral microbiome”.  The candidate will be involved in Great Barrier Reef field sampling, metagenomics, microbial phylogenetics and metabolic reconstruction, with the potential to develop workflows for single-cell genomics, and fluorescence microscopy for coral-associated microbial communities.

Role B

The successful candidate will be working under the direct supervision of Professor Gene Tyson as part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship Project, entitled Uncovering new microbial players and processes in the global methane cycle.  The candidate will be involved in single-cell genomics, metagenomics, fluorescence microscopy, phylogeny and metabolic reconstruction.

Candidates

  • Applicants should possess a BSc Hons class IIA or better, or equivalent, majoring in a relevant discipline (e.g. microbiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, marine sciences) to commence a PhD in the above area and should be eligible for a UQ PhD scholarship to support Category 1 project grants.
  • Ideal applicants will have appropriate laboratory experience, including experience with molecular biology techniques and bioinformatics/programming.
  • Prior experience with sequencing platforms would be beneficial but is not essential.
  • Excellent communication skills, motivation and the ability to work as part of a team are also required.
  • Specialist training will be available.

Mandatory requirements for applicants:

  • Excellent academic performance to Honours/Masters level (First Class/Distinction), evidenced by a high Grade Point Average (GPA)
  • A general interest in microbial ecology.

Desirable requirements for applicants:

  • One or more peer-reviewed research publications. A background in bioinformatics (Linux/Unix, python, R) is preferred

Enquiries

To discuss these roles, please contact Caroline Moniz: c.moniz@uq.edu.au.

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