• World-class research, cutting-edge facilities.
• Innovate in fungal synthetic biology.
• Full-time appointment on a fixed term basis for 2 years.
• Base salary range: $83,499 – $112,371 p.a. plus 17% superannuation.

About the area

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a leading research-intensive institution, consistently ranked among the world’s top universities. The School of Molecular Sciences (SMS) offers a dynamic research environment at the intersection of Chemistry and Biology. Located in the Bayliss Building, SMS is home to cutting-edge research facilities; including UWA Separation Science and Mass Spectrometry Platform, WA Proteomics and Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis; and research centres, including ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, the ARC Training Centre for Next-Generation Biomedical Analysis, and the newly established RNA Innovation Foundry. The co-location of chemists, biochemists, and biologists within this space fosters a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research culture, making it an ideal environment for cross-disciplinary projects.

About the opportunity

• This postdoctoral role is part of the project “Designer Fungal Cell Factories for Advanced Biomanufacturing” and involves working closely with a multidisciplinary team of biologists, chemists, and engineers, with opportunities to collaborate with industry partners under the guidance of the Associate Professor.
• The appointee will apply genetic and genome-mining tools to improve fungal strains for enhanced chemical production, identify biosynthetic pathways, and reconstruct these in hosts such as Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to discover new molecules and enzymes with biotechnological potential.
• Responsibilities include using advanced techniques such as fungal isolation, reverse and forward genetics, recombinant protein expression, metabolite purification, and genome annotation, while contributing to laboratory management, safety oversight, and supervision of students, with scope to develop new research directions in fungal secondary metabolism and synthetic biology.

About you

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field within the Biological Sciences.
• Demonstrated experience in handling and manipulating fungi, including basic techniques such as microscopy and cell culture.
• Demonstrated expertise in the isolation and molecular identification of filamentous fungi and genome assembly and annotation.
• Demonstrated expertise in the genetic manipulation of filamentous fungi, including gene knockout and overexpression techniques, and heterologous expression of secondary metabolite pathways in fungal hosts (A. nidulans and S. cerevisiae).
• Demonstrated experience in the isolation of secondary metabolites from fungi, as well as in operating analytical chemistry equipment such as HPLC and HRMS.

Note: The successful applicant will be required to undertake occasional weekend work, some after-hours duties, and occasional interstate or international travel.

Position description: PD - Postdoctoral Research Associate (522043).pdf

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Heng Chooi at yitheng.chooi@uwa.edu.au

How to apply

Please apply online via the Apply Now button. The content of your Resume and Cover Letter should demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria.

Closing date: 11:55 PM AWST on Thursday, 11 December 2025

This position is only open to Current UWA staff.

Please note: Unsolicited applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted outside of formal channels.

About the University

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world and a member of the prestigious Australian Group of Eight research intensive universities. With a strong research track record, vibrant campus and working environments, there is no better time to join Western Australia’s top university.

Learn more about us.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity

UWA is committed to a diverse workforce and an equitable and inclusive workplace. We are committed to fostering a safe environment for all, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTIQA+ community, and people living with disability.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application. Alternatively, you can contact us for assistance during the recruitment process.

If you have queries relating to your application, please contact the individual named in the advertisement. Alternatively, please contact the Talent team at people@uwa.edu.au with details of your query. To enable a quick response, please include the 6-digit job reference number.