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  Glycan-based prebiotic approaches


   Institute for Glycomics

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  Assoc Prof Thomas Haselhorst  Applications accepted all year round  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

About the Project

We are currently looking for a PhD candidate to join our dynamic and interdisciplinary team at the Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University Gold Coast campus. We study how carbohydrates (glycans) engage with other glycans and what roles they play in disease. The candidate will be trained using cutting-edge technologies such as Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Isothermal Calorimetry (ITC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). One main aspect of this role will be to identify and structurally describe novel glycan-glycan interactions using SPR, ITC and NMR methods. The overall goal of this research project is to utilise this structural knowledge to develop a novel glycan-based chicken and poultry feed supplement (prebiotic) that will disrupt glycan-glycan interactions between harmful bacteria (e.g. Campylobacter jejuni) and chicken or poultry. We are aiming to reduce the overuse of antibiotics in the agricultural industry to guarantee food safety in Australia.  Success in this role requires: i) extensive collaborative spirit, as the candidate will be working with structural chemists, biochemists, microbiologist, biophysicists, and medical professionals, and ii) tenacity and an independent drive to contribute to science.

About Us

Comprising over 200 research scientists, students and support staff, the Institute for Glycomics strives to be a world leader in the discovery and development of next generation drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for diseases of global impact.

Established in 2000, the Institute for Glycomics is one of Australia's flagship multidisciplinary translational biomedical research institutes, based in the heart of Griffith University's beautiful Gold Coast campus. The Institute boasts state-of-the-art facilities combined with some of the world's most outstanding researchers focused on glycomics, a constantly expanding field that explores the structural and functional properties of carbohydrates (glycans) and their roles in disease. The Institute's research primarily targets identification, prevention and cures for cancers, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, with a focus on translational research to have a positive impact on human health globally.

About You

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background. To be successful within this role, you will be able to have a broad scientific background in chemistry, spectroscopy, biochemistry and biophysics and a knowledge in microbiology is of advantage. You will have evidence of a passion for science with a strong desire to undertake research in a structural biochemical laboratory.

  • Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants.
  • Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first class honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Policy. For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.

About the scholarship

The 2022 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $28,854 (indexed) for a period of up to three years of full-time study. Please see the GUPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

A successful International applicant will also be awarded a Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to cover tuition fees for up to three years. Please see the GUIPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

What we offer

As a scholarship holder, you will study with a university that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across campuses in South East Queensland. At Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous. We also support the professional and personal development of all our HDR candidates and invest in the skills of our people. Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. Griffith's strategic goals are to also increase the proportion of women in senior academic and administrative roles and in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

For Further Information

For project related enquiries please contact:

Associate Professor Thomas Haselhorst Phone: (07) 555 27012 Email: [Email Address Removed]

For administration enquiries please contact:

Griffith Graduate Research School Phone: (07) 3735 3817 Email: [Email Address Removed]

Interested applicants should submit an expression of interest (EOI) to [Email Address Removed] containing:

  • Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
  • Evidence that you have completed a Bachelor Degree with Class 1 Honours or will be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Policy
  • A brief CV
  • Research proposal
  • Two references

Currently open for expressions of interest (EoIs)

The preferred applicant will then be invited to apply for the program and scholarship on-line

Biological Sciences (4) Chemistry (6)

 About the Project