The Opportunity

• Are you a motivated, early career scientist with interest in how virus exploit host molecules for their replication?
• Do you have, or will shortly obtain, a PhD in a relevant discipline area, such as microbiology, biochemistry or molecular biology?
• Join CSIRO and progress your career with our structured postdoc training program

Infectious diseases – those caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites – kill over 17 million people globally each year. One of the reasons combating infectious diseases is so challenging is because pathogens are always changing. RNA viruses possess error-prone replication machinery –they’re often mutating and “drifting”, becoming resistant to therapies that are already in short supply. Rather than combating infectious diseases by targeting the pathogen, an emerging theme is to target the host. Viruses are obligate pathogens that cannot infect or cause disease without hi-jacking host elements for their own benefit.

Our team recently discovered that fibrillarin, a host cellular enzyme, is essential for the growth of many important viruses– including Hendra virus, measles and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. The post-doctoral fellow will join a team with expertise in virology and molecular biology to determine how fibrillarin facilitates virus infection and illuminate a cellular pathway as a target for novel antiviral therapies. The PDF will:

Your duties will include

• Under the direction of senior research scientists, carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes.
• Assist in the development and deployment of novel technology to evaluate, predict or measure hydraulic fracturing growth.
• Contribute to high-profile research projects to develop tools to predict and measure the environmental sustainability of onshore petroleum activities.
• Carry out autonomous research to produce high quality scientific and/or engineering input into professional client reports.
• Publish and present work at conferences as agreed with your supervisor.
• Make a contribution to the effective functioning of the research team and help deliver CSIRO’s organisational objectives and plans.
• Undertake an appropriate training and development program developed by CSIRO.

Location: Geelong, VIC
Salary: $82,450 to $93,280 plus up to 15.4% Superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 60096

To be successful you will need

Essential Criteria:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as microbiology, biochemistry or molecular biology

Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (or part time equivalent) of relevant postdoctoral experience.

• A record of publications in quality, peer reviewed journals.
• High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including at national and international conferences.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary, regionally dispersed research team, plus the motivation and discipline to carry out autonomous research.

Desirable Criteria:

• Research experience in protein translation
• Experience working with viruses under biocontainment conditions

For details about who to contact and for more information please view Position Description

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

About CSIRO

At CSIRO you can be part of helping to solve big, complex problems that make a real difference to our future. We spark off each other, learn from each other, trust each other and collaborate to achieve more than we could individually in a supportive, rewarding, inclusive and truly flexible environment. 

Apply Online

To apply online, please provide a CV and cover letter of no more than 2 pages that outlines how your experience meets the selection criteria for this position.

Applications Close

Tuesday 26 March, 2019