AGRICULTURE VICTORIA RESEARCH (APR – 2512)

Establishment of Gene Editing Methods in Grain Legumes

Medical, Biological and other Sciences

ABOUT THE INDUSTRY PARTNER

Agriculture Victoria Research delivers transformational impact on productivity in Victoria’s key agricultural industries and protects industries and access to markets through genetic, biosecurity, farm systems and resource use research and innovation.

Research and innovation in major industries, including dairy, grains and horticulture, as well as in emerging bioindustries, is delivered through multi-disciplinary research collaborations with industry that accelerate and enhance productivity impacts.

Innovations in biosecurity protect Victoria’s thriving agriculture sector through advanced diagnostics and the maintenance of specialised insect and plant pathogen reference collections.

Agriculture Victoria Research partners with industry, agribusiness, the education sector and communities to develop SmartFarms in key regional centres across Victoria that actively engage in multi-disciplinary research and innovation.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

Be part of a leading plant functional genomics team undertaking applied industry backed research at Agriculture Victoria’s State-of-the-Art laboratory facilities; AgriBio, the Centre for AgriBiosciences, located in Bundoora, Victoria.

This cutting edge project will focus on establishing plant transformation methods (gene delivery and regeneration) for genome editing approaches in key grain legumes that involve the delivery of CRISPR reagents.

RESEARCH TO BE CONDUCTED

1. Establish in vitro donor plants from key grain legumes
2. Evaluation of regeneration responses using different explants
3. Perform transient delivery into different explant sources (PEG/Biolistics/Agrobacterium methods)
4. Measure transient ablation efficacy using scorable markers (GFP) via fluorescent microscopy and FACS
5. Perform ddPCR assays to assess ablation efficacy
6. Perform stable gene editing based on the progress from the activity-2
7. Data analysis and report writing

SKILLS WISH LIST

If you’re a postgraduate research student and meet some or all the below we want to hear from you. We strongly encourage women, indigenous and disadvantaged candidates to apply:

Seeking a PhD or Masters by Research intern with advanced plant genomics skills and experience in genome editing techniques, methods and high tech equipment.

RESEARCH OUTCOMES

• Proof-of-concept for genome editing in key grain legumes using CRISPR/Cas system
• In house in vitro cell culture methods and methods from published literatures will be followed to evaluate transient expression and regeneration studies.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

The intern will receive $3,000 per month of the internship, usually in the form of scholarship payments.

It is expected that the intern will primarily undertake this research project during regular business hours and maintain contact with their academic mentor throughout the internship either through face-to-face or phone meetings as appropriate.

The intern and their academic mentor will have the opportunity to negotiate the project’s scope, milestones and timeline during the project planning stage.

Please note, applications are reviewed regularly and this internship may be filled prior to the advertised closing date if a suitable applicant is identified. Early submissions are encouraged.

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