Biological sciences » Biological engineering

Technology » Environmental technology

Organisation/Company The University of Queensland Department School of Chemical Engineering Research Field Engineering » Chemical engineering Biological sciences » Biological engineering Technology » Environmental technology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 24 Aug 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Australia Type of Contract Other Type of Contract Extra Information PhD scholarship Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 4 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Single cell oils (SCO) production provides a powerful route to generate sustainable oils and oleochemicals from renewable and non-refined feedstocks, decoupling lipid supply from conventional agriculture.

Harnessing the metabolic capacity of oleaginous microorganisms, SCO systems convert diverse carbon sources into energy-dense triacylglycerols, offering high productivity and flexibility compared to traditional oil crops.

However, maximising lipid yields while maintaining process efficiency and scalability remains a central challenge, requiring an integrated understanding of microbial metabolism and bioprocess operation.

This PhD project will address these challenges by developing advanced SCO production strategies that optimise carbon partitioning, process performance, and industrial feasibility.

This project will be based at The University of Queensland's St Lucia campus, at the Andrew N. Liveris Building School of Chemical Engineering, opened in 2022.

This top-class building has state-of-the-art laboratories for microbial cultivation, biotechnology and bioengineering.

You will work in a highly international and stimulating research setting,



with access to cutting-edge analytical and bioprocess engineering infrastructure within the building, as well as access to dedicated core facilities across UQ's St Lucia campus.

Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Technology » Environmental technology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

A working knowledge of microbial cultivation, microbial physiology, bioreactors, and/or quantitative data analysis would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

A background or knowledge of bioscience engineering, (bio)chemical engineering, biotechnology or equivalent is highly desirable.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

Academic entry requirements

You have to prove you are prepared for PhD study. You do this by showing you:

- have completed an approved university degree
- in an area relevant to your proposed PhD project and
- completed no more than 10 years ago.

You need one of the following degrees to apply for a PhD. In each case, the degree must be approved by the Dean:

- Master of Philosophy (or another research master's degree);or
- Bachelor's degree from an approved university with at least honours class IIA or equivalent;or
- Coursework master's degree with an overall grade point average of 5.65 on the 7-point UQ scale which includes relevant research experience

We'll consider the following degrees on a case-by-case basis, so long as you can demonstrate relevant research experience:

- Postgraduate degree (at least 1 year full-time or equivalent) with an overall grade point average of 5 on the 7-point UQ scale,



together with demonstrated research experience equivalent to honours class IIA; or
- Bachelor's degree without honoursplus at least 2 years of relevant research experience

The ways you can demonstrate relevant research experience are listed below.

Relevant research experience

If you're applying withone of the below qualifications, you must demonstrate that you can plan and execute project work and/or a body of research with some independence.

- Bachelor's degree of at least 3 years without honours; or

You'll need to provide evidence of one of the following:

- A bachelor's or coursework master's degree that includes research training through research-focused courses and/or a supervised research project with a written report. The combined research component must be equivalent to at least 4 units at UQ, and at least 50% of the unit(s) must involve individually assessed, research-focused work. Research carried out in groups should have been graded individually.
- Scholarly papers involving a substantial contribution as an author, appearing in recognised academic journals or in volumes published by recognised academic publishers.
- Research or technical reports prepared for industry, government or business, which adhere to the broad conventions of academic publishing (i.e. contain an up-to-date review of relevant literature, a description of relevant research methods and an evaluation of results, etc.) and which identify you as a significant contributor.
- A portfolio of published creative work together with published critical discussion of some or all of that work, or of a comparable body of work by others, and which demonstrates your development of a scholarly approach to creative work as research investigation.
- Demonstrable industry or work experience where you can demonstrate that you have planned and executed a project, working with a high level of independence.

Selection process

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📌 Engineering scalable single cell oil production for sustainable manufacturing ofoleochemicals (Brisbane)
🏢 The University of Queensland
📍 Brisbane