Job Description

• ­The School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences

• Join a university ranked in the world’s top 50

• Engage in cutting-edge research on herbicide targets, focusing on acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), a crucial enzyme for plant growth.

  View Orignal JOB on: postdocjobs.one

• Utilise state-of-the-art methods including plasmid design, protein expression, purification, enzymatic and inhibition assays, crystallization, and X-ray crystallography. Gain experience in cryo-EM as needed

• Based at our vibrant and picturesque St Lucia Campus as well as CSIRO (Dutton Park).

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About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged.

At the core of our teaching remains our students, and their experience with us sets a foundation for success far beyond graduation. UQ has made a commitment to making education opportunities available for all Queenslanders, regardless of personal, financial, or geographical barriers.

As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

About This Opportunity 

The primary purpose of this position is research into new herbicides candidates for weeds of national significance and interactions with biological control agents developed for those weeds. 

Key responsibilities will include:

 Research

• Performing plasmid design, expression, purification and enzymatic assays on our herbicide target, acetohydroxyacid synthase. To conduct inhibition assays and crystallization studies on this enzyme. To solve structures of plant acetohydroxyacid synthase by X-ray crystallography or where needed solve by cryo-EM.

• Performing rational structure based design of inhibitors of acetohydroxyacid synthase.

• Be able to plan and undertake weed testing assays in culture or in a glasshouse.

• Advising and supervising postgraduate students and working with colleagues and postgraduates in the development and implementation of collaborative research in herbicide evaluation.

• Be highly proactive in generating data, and carefully documenting all methods, procedures and raw data, to underpin high-quality reports and journal publications.

• Presenting research findings at meetings, seminars and conferences.

 Supervision and Researcher Development

• Contribute to the effective supervision of Honours and Higher Degree by Research students (as appropriate) in the Guddat group.

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

This is a full-time (100%), fixed-term position for up to 12 months at Academic level A. The full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range of $77,324.85 - $102,945.12 plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $90,470.08 - $120,445.79 annually. As these roles are covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases in line with the Enterprise Agreement.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad:  from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

About You

• Completion or near completion of a PhD in biochemistry specializing in structural biology with associated experience and expert knowledge in the area of drug or herbicide design.

• Expertise in X-ray crystallography and some practical expertise in cryo-EM is advantageous.

• Excellent working knowledge of fundamental chemical principles as applied to drug/herbicide design.

• Demonstrated science innovation and creativity, including the ability and willingness to incorporate novel ideas and lateral thinking into scientific investigations to develop appropriate solutions to research challenges.

• Delivery of results to required standard and schedule, and an ability to work to deadlines and perform under pressure.

• Demonstrated experience preparing reports of experimental findings for publications and presentations.

• Ability to quickly acquire new laboratory techniques and to perform them routinely at a high level of accuracy and efficiency.

• Experience in meaningful internal service roles and contributions towards external activities.

• Ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency research team, and the motivation and discipline to carry out autonomous research.

• Knowledge of HSW guidelines and laboratory safety.

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

Work Rights: This position is open to candidates who currently hold unrestricted work rights or candidates who are currently on a relevant work visa based within Australia. Visa sponsorship is not  available for this appointment.

Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Professor Luke Guddat via luke.guddat@uq.edu.au.

For application queries, please contact talent@uq.edu.au stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.

Want to Apply? 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Resume

• Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section

Other Information 

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion.  We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity, LGBTQIA+, cultural and/or linguistic, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with a disability, or age. Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to talent@uq.edu.au.

If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.

Applications close Wednesday 19 June 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (R-39341). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for early to mid July.