Postdoctoral Research Fellow

• Institute for Molecular Bioscience

• Full-time (100%), fixed-term position for up to 2 years

• Base salary will be in the range $82, $109, % Superannuation (Academic Level A)

• Based at our St Lucia Campus

This exciting NHMRC Ideas Grant project, undertaken in collaboration with Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), is focused on uncovering new antibiotics from microbial isolates sourced from soil and other diverse ecosystems. By integrating cutting-edge genomics, metabolomics, and biochemical screening, the team aims to identify novel compounds that target bacterial cell wall biosynthesis.

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you'll collaborate with leading experts in natural products chemistry, microbial genomics, and bioinformatics. Your role will involve isolating and cultivating microbes under varied conditions, extracting and characterising novel natural products, and analysing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) to uncover their potential for antibiotic production.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Research: Establish a research program, collaborate on research projects, seek and manage research funding, publish in reputable journals and participate in project discussions.

  • Undertake the cultivation, isolation, taxonomic characterisation and cryopreservation of soil microbes (i.e. bacteria and fungi).

  • Undertake the analytical scale cultivation of microbes in a microbioreactor (i.e. MATRIX), and subsequent chemical (i.e. UPLC-DAD-MS and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-GNPS) and biological (i.e. antibiotic and cytotoxicity) profiling of microbial solvent extracts, fractions and pure natural products.

  • Undertake large scale microbial cultivation to produce, and use semi-preparative and preparative scale chromatography (HPLC, SPE, GEL) to isolate pure bioactive microbial natural products.

  • Use spectroscopic (NMR, MS, UV-vis and polarimeter) and chemical analysis to elucidate the structures of microbial natural products.

  • Perform genomics analyses, including BGC mining, comparative genomics, and genome assembly.

  • Support and contribute to the safe and efficient operations of research group equipment, infrastructure, methodologies and protocols.

  • Accurately document all research activities in lab books and specialist databases.

• Supervision and Researcher Development: Supervise students, recruit and manage employees, provide performance feedback and training, resolve conflicts, and ensure correct remuneration and benefits.

• Citizenship and Service: Develop partnerships, demonstrate leadership through mentoring, engage in internal service roles and committees, perform administrative functions, provide support to colleagues, and uphold university values.

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

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.

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.

• Education, training and/or relevant experience equivalent to the completion of a PhD in a relevant field (e.g., natural products chemistry).

• Strong expertise in organic chemistry, with a focus on microbial natural products and associated analytical techniques.

• Proven experience in structure elucidation of small molecules using 1D/2D NMR, MS, and other spectroscopic methods, as well as genomics analyses and bioinformatics tools (e.g., antiSMASH, BiG-SCAPE).

• Skilled in microbiological techniques including sterile handling, cultivation of bacteria and fungi, cryo-preservation, and taxonomic analysis.

• Proficient in purification of natural products using semi-preparative and preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography (i.e. HPLC).

• Experienced in operating and troubleshooting analytical chromatographic (i.e. HPLC, LCMS and UPLC-QTOF) and spectroscopic (i.e. NMR) instruments.

• Knowledgeable in chemical analysis methods (e.g., Marfey's, Mosher's, derivatization, degradation, synthesis) for structure elucidation and structure activity relationship analysis.

• Demonstrated experience in bioassay-guided microbial biodiscovery, GNPS molecular networking, and use of online databases (e.g., SciFinder, Web of Science) for dereplication and prioritization.

• Experience in laboratory best practice OH&S.

• Track record of publishing original research in leading peer reviewed scientific journals.

The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including: right to work in Australia, education check.

Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment; applications from international candidates will be considered but must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment and would be expected to seek their own appropriate work visa in order to progress.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Zeinab Khalil  

For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at , stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.
 

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 Responding to the 'About You' section

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don't meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.

Applications close Wednesday, 17 September 2025 at 11.00pm AEST (R Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for the week commencing Monday 29 September.