CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Insect Gut Microbiome Research - [Archived Advertisement]

• Do you have a PhD in a relevant discipline area, such as Functional Genomics, Metagenomics, Systems Biology or similar?
• Develop a framework for predictive functionality and designed interventions that can be applied more broadly across other species to produce beneficial outcomes for Australia
• 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. 
The position will be part of the Microbiomes for One Systems Health - Future Science Platform (FSP). CSIRO FSPs address new scientific challenges for Australia.

The Microbiome FSP is developing new understanding of microbiome connectivity across the environment to human continuum and how system perturbations impact on microbiome functionality, diversity and systems health.  A key objective is to capture greater benefit from microbiome interactions through more informative and predictive frameworks for functionality and by targeted interventions. Capacity to directly manipulate microbiomes across hosts and environments will provide new opportunities for bio-based solutions to be developed and applied to improve host and environmental health and for increased benefit to plants, animals and humans.

The portfolio of research within the Microbiome FSP is focussed around new science that address; systems connectivity, predictive frameworks and deliberate Interventions through the application of multi-omic tools to analyse point and system level change and associated measures of functionality both within and across interconnected biomes. This includes integration and analysis of multi-layered data and use of empirical and/or statistical modelling.  The science portfolio of the FSP spans multiple CSIRO Business Units that address key focal areas that include; i) Environment, Soil & Plant Health, ii) Food Chain & Production ii) Diet, Gut and Health and iv) Optimized Industry & Urban Processes.
Insects play vital roles in ecological systems as environmental engineers and are increasingly important in industrial applications such as waste biotransformation. Gut microbiomes significantly impact the metabolic outputs, health and phenotypes of their insect hosts. Understanding microbiome acquisition and functionality is a crucial step towards designing deliberate interventions that will improve ecological and industrial outcomes.

This is an exciting opportunity for a CERC Fellow to exploit the experimental manipulability of insects and use integrated multi-omics to provide a clear view of the molecular mechanisms and functions that confer selective benefits to insect hosts as targets for maintenance or manipulation. The successful candidate will have access to managed colonies of a range of insect species of industrial, commercial, and ecological importance, including black soldier fly and dung beetles. This position will develop a generalisable framework for predictive functionality and designed interventions in one or more species that can be applied more broadly across other species to produce beneficial outcomes for Australia.

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Functional Genomics, Metagenomics, Systems Biology, or a related field. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (or full-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Demonstrated experience in host or microbial multi-omics data generation, particularly (meta)transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, and bioinformatics analysis. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop experimental plans, originality in solving problems and pursue innovative research approaches, including the ability & willingness to incorporate novel ideas and approaches into scientific investigations.
• Demonstrated proficiency in bioinformatics, including in one or more scripting or programming languages.
• Demonstrated ability to meet performance deadlines under minimal supervision, and to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary, regionally dispersed research team to achieve shared goals through cooperation.

For full details about this role please view the Position Description