Project summary
The PhD candidate will be working on an Australian Research Council and UniSC Research Training Program funded project that aims to identify insecticidal arthropod venom peptides to target dipteran pests and parasites.
This project expects to discover environmentally friendly treatments for sheep blowflies and QLD fruit flies as important plagues for Australian agricultural and livestock industries. Expected outcomes include an advanced understanding of predator-prey ecology and insights into venom peptide interactions with their insect molecular targets.
This project provides significant benefits by uncovering novel selective modulators for studying insect channel / receptor function, by discovering environmentally and climate friendly insecticides for agricultural/livestock applications and by strengthening (inter)national research collaborations.
Position summary
The candidate will be working in the Arthropod Biodiscovery Lab headed by Associate Professor Volker Herzig at UniSC Sunshine Coast. We are looking for a motivated individual with a strong and collaborative work ethic. You will be working with arthropods, including regular handling of various insects. Therefore, people with aversion of creepy crawly animals might not be best suited for this position.
Applications close
5 August 2026 11:55pm
To complete an application you will need to create an account and login to the HDR scholarships portal.
Ideal eligible candidates
The candidate will be screening a panel of arthropod venoms against several insect (mainly fly) species to identify the active venom peptides, before further characterising their physiological role. It would therefore be desirable for the candidate to have some prior knowledge in fields such as entomology, toxinology, physiology, or pharmacology.
The methods used in this project include insect toxicity assays, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry and possibly patch clamp electrophysiology. Previous skills and expertise in any of these techniques would therefore be desirable.
Inclusions and eligibility
Funded by the ARC and UniSC Research Training Program (RTP) the scholarship package includes 3 years coverage until Thesis submission:
- Stipend - $38 000 (AUD) per annum, paid fortnightly and is tax-free for full-time students.
- Tuition fees - Full coverage, with a value of $29 300 per annum.
- Relocation allowance - Up to $2,000 to relocate to a UniSC campus
All inclusions are in accordance with UniSC RTP Research scholarship conditions
This opportunity is available to Domestic candidates only - Australia / New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent resident.
Contact
Associate Professor Volker Herzig
Email: vherzig@usc.edu.au