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PhD Scholarship: Discovery of Bioactive Proteins and Polysaccharides from Seaweed

The opportunity

A fully funded scholarship is available for a domestic or international student at the Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB) which is a multi-disciplinary consortium of 4 Universities and 16 Partner Organisations. The successful candidate will benefit from an innovative training programme in technical and transferable professional skills for an exciting career in bioactives research and development. The successful candidate is also expected to spend up to 12 months in placements with the industry partner. 

You will be part of a diverse multicultural team of students and academics and work closely with the industry partner on their bioactives R&D needs. As we are an ARC Training Centre, building the capacity of the future research workforce is core to FAAB activities which means you are expected to participate in professional learning that may or may not directly relate to your research topic but gives you the skills required to succeed in the modern R&D workplace. For this specific scholarship we particularly encourage domestic students to apply.  

The project

Join our innovative research team to explore the vast potential of seaweed as a valuable source of bioactive proteins and polysaccharides. The successful candidate will be involved in screening selected seaweed species for the content and extractability of proteins and polysaccharides using environmentally friendly "green chemistry" techniques. Species demonstrating the highest extractable content of proteins/peptides or oligo-/polysaccharides will undergo optimisation of extraction efficiency and a broad screening of bioactivities. Bioactive compounds will be isolated and analysed for their composition and structure using a variety of analytical methods to determine amino acid composition, amino acid sequence, post-translational modifications for proteins and peptides, and monosaccharide analysis, linkage analysis, and structural elucidation for oligo-/polysaccharides.

Key Responsibilities

Develop efficient extraction and purification methods for proteins and/or polysaccharides from seaweed using "green chemistry". Identify bioactive protein/peptide and/or oligo-/poly-saccharide fractions from the above extracts. Develop methods for testing the bioactivity of peptides/proteins and/or oligo-/polysaccharides from seaweed.

The candidate

We are seeking a talented and motivated candidate with a robust background in analytical chemistry, coupled with hands-on experience in protein and/or polysaccharide extraction and purification techniques. The ideal candidate will demonstrate proficiency in a range of analytical techniques, including chromatography, mass spectrometry, and spectroscopy. Knowledge of methodologies for assessing the bioactivity of biomolecules and familiarity with “green chemistry” principles would be advantageous. The successful candidate will possess excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a dynamic research team across both academia and industry. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary and collaborative research environment, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a brief cover letter. Macquarie University requires all research candidates to have and maintain a high level of English language proficiency. Applicants will have completed one of the English language proficiency tests listed here. All English language test scores must be less than two years old at the date of application.

If you would like to discuss any academic aspects of this project with us, please contact Prof Anwar Sunna (anwar.sunna@mq.edu.au). If you have any other questions or have difficulties with the application portal, please contact Dr Frank Stadler (faab@mq.edu.au). We accept applications until Monday 20 May 2024, 5pm (AEST), but please note that applicants will be assessed on a rolling basis as applications are received. Therefore, the position may be filled with an available and suitably qualified candidate prior to the closing date. Successful applicants will be invited to formally apply for a FAAB Scholarship through the University online application portal.