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NZAGRC Early Career Researcher Fund - Fungal biosynthesis of bacteriocins for enteric methane mitigation.
Scholarship details
| Study levels | PhD |
|---|---|
| Value | A tax-free annual stipend of $44,008 per year, for up to three years. New Zealand University annual tuition fees and associated student levies of up to $10,000 per year, for up to three years. Contribution to research and publication costs, up to $10,000 total. Travel allowance to present at an international conference, up to $5,000 total. |
| Close date | Saturday, 31 August 2024 |
| Domestic/international | Both domestic and international |
About the scholarship
More than 80% of New Zealand methane emissions are attributed to enteric fermentation in ruminant livestock and New Zealand is at the forefront of research identifying compounds that can be used as inhibitors of enteric methane production.
Bacteriocins, bacterially produced antimicrobial peptides, are highly effective rumen modifiers, capable of significantly reducing enteric methane production at low concentrations through direct inhibition of ruminal methanogens without exerting negative effects on feed digestibility. However, existing bacteriocin production methods are low yield and cost prohibitive, limiting commercial usage. Additionally, New Zealand’s agricultural landscape presents a significant barrier to effective methane inhibitor delivery with 40% of land accounted for by non-native grasses used for livestock grazing.
This project will address these issues by developing dual filamentous fungal bacteriocin manufacturing methods, including a fungal factory system for large-scale inhibitor production and a novel delivery system. Advanced molecular and analytical chemistry techniques will be employed to engineer bacteriocin biosynthetic pathways into fungal hosts.
The scholarship will offer comprehensive training in synthetic biology to reconstruct bacterial biosynthetic pathways in filamentous fungal hosts for bacteriocin production. This will involve experience in molecular biology techniques, fungal microbiology and genetics to generate and verify genomically modified fungal strains. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills to assist the team in the future commercialisation and translation of the research from the laboratory to the farm to ensure the real-world impact of the research to decrease methane emissions.
Host institute(s) and location(s): University of Canterbury, Christchurch.
Project leader(s)/research supervisor: Primary supervisor - Dr Sarah Kessans, Senior Lecturer in the School of Product Design, Canterbury University.
How To Apply
To apply please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected]
Entry requirements
Required skills and experience for the position:
- Proficiency in synthetic biology techniques such as molecular cloning
- Experience with fungal strain engineering
- Experience in analytical chemistry
- Demonstrated laboratory-based research experience
- Communication skills, both written and oral
Are you eligible?
- The scholarship programme will be open to New Zealand citizens, residents and international candidates who can meet the appropriate visa requirements.
- Although it is expected that recipients should be intending to study/work full time, this programme will provide the flexibility required to support a diverse pipeline of researchers by considering individual circumstances, career breaks and time for societal/community/cultural contributions.
- The programme will be looking for a diversity of skills across the successful applicants and encourages those wishing to build Māori research and knowledge capability across the R&D pipeline.
- PhD applicants must be eligible at the time of application to register as a candidate for a Doctoral degree in the respective New Zealand Institution or expect to become eligible by 30/12/2024.