Job Overview
More Information
- Address Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Qualification PhD
- Apply Before Open Year Round
- Discipline Science & Engineering
Employer: Hainan University (website)
Call for Postdoctoral and Doctoral Programs for International Students (no time limits)
Hainan Province locates on the southernmost tip of China and is the only Free Trade Island of China. Hainan University (HNU) is a comprehensive key university jointly administered by the State Ministry of Education and the People’s Government of Hainan Province. It is a leading university for science research and teaching of Hainan Province and was listed as one of China’s “211 Project” universities, one of the 14 universities in the “Midwest Universities Comprehensive Strength Promotion Project”, and a national-level key sponsored university in the “One Province, One School” project in the Midwest of China. In 2017, HNU was selected as the national “Double First-Class” Initiative to develop world-class disciplines. As an integrated institute of Hainan University, HNU has become one of the research and education centers in China.
Microalgae, with an estimate of almost one million species, are of great ecological importance, as they contribute almost half of the global organic carbon fixation. They provide a variety of natural products to support ecosystems (e.g., coral reef ecosystem) by photosynthesis with efficiencies approximately three times greater than those achieved by land plants. Domesticated microalgae hold great promise for the sustainable provision of various bioresources for human domestic and industrial consumption.
The main interest of Single-cell BioEngineering Group (SCBE) is the evolution, function, and editing of microalgal genomes and design of synthetic biology using microalgae as chassis, including (1) Characterization and engineering crucial biological process and value-added chemical in microalgae (Zhou et al., 2022 JACS; Lu et al., 2021 Nat Comm); (2) Development and application of synthetic biology in cell factory design for medical, industrial, and agriculture ends (Lu et al., 2021 Cri Rev Biotech); (3) the interaction mechanism between microalgae and other microbes and strategy development for heavy-metal remediation approach using these consortia (Ahamad et al., J Harz Mater 2019, 2018).
Lab homepage: http://www.scbioengineering.com/
Position 1: Responsibilities and description of the position: Discover and engineer new biosynthetic pathways in microalgae and plants for value-added chemicals.
Position 2: Identify natural compounds from microalgae aimed at the discovery of early-stage leads for the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries and their further development to Proof of Concept.
Requirements: PhD in Plant Biology, Microbiology, Biology, Functional Genomics, Microalgae, Biochemistry Engineering, Biological Chemistry, Analytic chemistry, Genetics or related field; Strong genomics and genetics background; Demonstrated experience in the identification and engineering of biosynthesis pathways of natural products from microalgae and higher plants; Experience in the tools and technologies from synthetic biology; Experience with biological datasets and next generation sequencing data; Skills relevant to the understanding of photosynthetic biology and plant genetic engineering would be advantageous; Excellent communication skills with a focus on teamwork and creating usable and accessible research tools.
Supports: the work is partly supported by 1) the Intergovernmental Project of National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFE0110100; Functional Foods; 2021-2024); 2) the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFA0909600; Synthetic Biology; 2021-2026); 3) the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060061; Photosynthesis of Marine Microalgae; 2021-2025); 4) the Key Research and Development Program of Hainan Province (2019RC033; Environmental Remediation using Microalgae; 2022-2025)
Salary and Benefits: The annual salary range for this position is RMB230,000 with an additional house-renting subsidy 3000 RMB/month. Concerned insurances have been covered. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Generous benefits are included. Kindergartens and elementary schools could be applied in the university’s neighborhood.
