Research Technician, Hy-Gain Project

• Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)

• Contribute to high quality research for the Hy-Gain Project

• Collaborate with world class researchers and international partners

• Be part of an organisation with a meaningful purpose and impact 

• Based at St Lucia campus with some work at Redlands and Gatton sites

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave

• 17% superannuation contributions

• 17.5% annual leave loading

• Access to flexible working arrangements

• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family

• On campus childcare options

• Cheap parking (from just $5 a day)

• Salary packaging options

About the Hy-Gain Project

The Hy-Gain project (Hy-Gain), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is a multi-party, international research project comprising world leading teams aiming to develop a novel technology to increase seed yield and productivity in sorghum and cowpea crops for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

This exciting 5-year project is led by Prof Anna Koltunow and is based in the Centre for Crop Science in QAAFI. Hy-Gain aims to ensure the technology is compatible with plant breeding to support the future, rapid delivery of new high yielding sorghum and cowpea hybrids and improved varieties. Hy-Gain involves research work at multiple sites in Queensland (Hermitage at Warwick; Gatton and St. Lucia) and collaboration with international research organisations and a multinational seed company.

The project has some fundamental discovery work, however its key aim is building and testing the utility of the technology in plants under controlled glasshouse and field conditions with evaluations involving input from African sorghum and cowpea breeders. The research objectives span molecular work in the laboratory to field work involving genetic, genomic and transgenic technologies and testing reproductive productivity of plants in glasshouse and in the field. Communication and collaboration between parties to efficiently achieve goals, protect discoveries, and disseminate data to the public via scientific publications and web-based media are important outcomes of the project. Moreover, the Hy-Gain St Lucia Team follows exceptionally strong stewardship practices to help ensure plant-product integrity.

Details of the project may be accessed at https://hy-gain.org/ .

About This Opportunity 

You will contribute to high quality research related to producing, growing, maintaining and analysing transgenic cowpea and sorghum plants in laboratory, glasshouse and field environments, for the Hy-Gain Project. Techniques and analyses include tissue culture, plant regeneration, PCR, flow cytometry, cytology and plant growth. You will be part of a technical team supervised by Assoc Prof Brett Ferguson and forms part of the plant transformation team led by Assoc Prof Brett Ferguson, Prof Ian Godwin and Prof Anna Koltunow. You will be based primarily at our St Lucia Campus with additional work in glasshouse facilities located at Redlands and field-based research at the Gatton Crop Research Unit.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Contribute to the high-quality research associated with the Hy-Gain Project, predominately related to growing and maintaining cowpea and sorghum plants and undertaking the genetic transformation of genes of interest into cowpea and sorghum.

• Participate in plant research in laboratory, glasshouse and field experimentations as required, including some travel to glasshouse and field locations at Redlands and Gatton.

• Undertake crossing, flow cytometry, tissue culture, and microscopic phenotyping of cowpea and sorghum reproductive organs and tissues to support the project's research into cowpea and sorghum reproductive development.

• Excellent research skills including accurate records of project activities and an ability to communicate them effectively to the project team.

• Demonstrate a strong understanding and adherence to UQ St Lucia Hy-Gain Team stewardship practices associated with maintaining plant product integrity.

• Use of appropriate scientific, computer and laboratory technology to conduct and record technical work.

• Contribute to the preparation of papers, conference presentations, and reports for funding bodies.

• Maintain absolute confidentiality regarding the results of the project.

• Genuine enthusiasm for research and ambitions for high achievement.

Safety

• Contributes to the safe and efficient operation of research equipment, infrastructure, methodologies and protocols

• Ensures the appropriate storage, handling and disposal of chemicals, equipment, stores and/or samples/specimens

Research and administrative support

• Assists with routine team administration

• Assists with preparing reports, graphs, figures and presentations on research outcomes at different stages of the research cycle outcomes

• Undertakes literature searches and reviews

• Detailed documentation of experiments and results

• Maintain accurate and up to date digital laboratory book records

• Provide general laboratory support, including helping with ordering and maintaining consumables.

• Follow and document activities in conjunction with the Team’s stewardship policies.

• Other duties to support the research group as reasonably directed by your supervisor

Any other duties as reasonably directed by your supervisor

This role is subject to The University’s Code of Conduct .  

This is a Full-time, 100% FTE Fixed-term position through to 28 February 2025.  

At HEW level 5, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $74,378.89 - $82,842.92, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $87,023.30 - $96,926.21 annually. As this role is covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases – at least once a year.

About You  

• Completed an undergraduate degree level qualification in Plant Science, Plant Biotechnology, Agricultural Science or related field; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training

• A current Class 'C' Australian Driver's Licence

• Excellent practical research skills, preferably with experience in genetic transformation and tissue culture techniques with plants

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in a molecular biology laboratory and/or glasshouse

• Responsible approach to equipment use and maintenance

• Ability to rapidly learn new skills and use new technologies

• Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills

• Ability work independently and prioritise own workload to meet deadlines

• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team

• Well-organised, methodical and self-motivated

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

• Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment. 

Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Associate Professor Brett Ferguson – [email protected]

For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 
 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section  

• Resume 

Other Information 

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion .  We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity , LGBTQIA+ , cultural and/or linguistic , Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples , or people with a disability . Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected]  

If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.

Applications close Friday 12 January 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number – R-33453).

Please note that UQ will be closed from 23 December until 2 January (inclusive). All applicants for this position will be contacted in the new year. We thank you for your patience during this time.