Postdoctoral Researcher Recruitment

Laboratory Overview

Led by Professor Wei Xiong, a nationally recognized high-level overseas talent, the Synthetic Metabolism and Low-Carbon Biological Design Team at the School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, focuses on the design principles of synthetic biology and their applications in energy, environmental sustainability, and related fields. The team aims to deepen the understanding of natural metabolic pathways and to develop viable alternative routes, exploring innovative solutions for food, health, energy, and environment.

Core Research Areas:

1.Applications of synthetic biology in sustainable energy solutions

· Addressing challenges in decarbonization and energy efficiency through synthetic biology

· Microbial upgrading of one-carbon compounds for green biomanufacturing and the reduction of environmental byproducts

· Designing and constructing novel synthetic pathways to enhance biomass yield and production efficiency

Representative publications: Nature Synthesis, 2022,1, 615–625; Nature Plants, 2015,1:53; Nature Plants, 2015,2: 15187.

2. Photosynthesis Reconstruction

· Development novel synthetic biology strategies and bioelectrochemical systems to reconfigure photosynthesis

· Enhancing photosynthetic efficiency through interdisciplinary integration with electrochemistry and materials chemistry

Representative publication: Energy Environ. Sci., 2021, 14, 5480–5490

3. Precision Analysis and Quantitative Design of Metabolic Pathways

· Investigating the structure and function of cellular metabolism

· Elucidating the principles governing metabolic pathways across diverse organisms

· Applying AI-driven and experimental approaches to study thermodynamics, kinetics, robustness, and other properties of metabolic processes, while developing comprehensive methodological toolkits

Representative publications: PNAS 2016, 113 (46), 13180–13185; Met. Eng. 2020, 57:140–150; ACS Syn. Bio. 2022, 11, 1, 103–115; ACS Syn. Bio. 2023, 12, 9, 2707–2714

Position Description

Position Type: Postdoctoral Fellow (Tracks A, B, and C) - 4-6 positions

We seek highly motivated candidates with research backgrounds in biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology, plant science, reactor engineering, computational biology, electrochemistry, or materials chemistry. Successful applicants will conduct full-time , on-campus postdoctoral research.

Recruitment Requirements

1. Candidates must abide by laws and regulations, demonstrate good academic ethics and personal integrity, be in good physical and mental health, have no record of legal or disciplinary violations; and possess strong research capabilities and academic potential.

2. Not exceeding 35 years of age.

3. Hold a PhD degree from a well-recognized domestic or international university or research institution, obtained within the past three years; or be recent PhD graduates who have successfully defended their doctoral dissertation.

4. Candidates should have received systematic research training, demonstrate strong self-motivation and hands-on experimental or computational skills, possess rigorous well-structured thinking, and be willing to engage in full-time postdoctoral research on campus.

Benefits and Compensation

Postdoctoral researchers will have access to national-, ministerial-, and provincial-level high-quality research platforms and facilities at the Class A “Double First-Class” university, along with the following benefits: 1. Competitive compensation. 2. University-funded medical insurance is provided, with social insurance and housing provident fund contributions made in accordance with standards for equivalent positions.

1. The research team offers year-end project performance bonuses and patent application incentives.

2. During the postdoctoral appointment, researchers may apply for funding from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. Eligible candidates may also competitively apply for programs such as the Postdoctoral International Exchange Program and the National Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Support Program. 5. Postdoctoral apartments or housing rental subsidies are provided. Children of postdoctoral researchers may enroll in University’s affiliated experimental schools and kindergartens. 6. After completing 18 months of appointment or within one year of completion of the postdoctoral term, eligible candidates may apply for evaluation as an Associate Researcher Fellow upon successful review. 7. Researchers will benefit from the university’s “One University, Three Campuses” system, featuring a beautiful natural environment and a vibrant academic and cultural atmosphere.

Application Method

Interested applicants are requested to submit their curriculum vitae (CV) in PDF format via email to mjzheng@scut.edu.cn. Please indicate “Position Applied For - University Name - Discipline - Name” in both the email subject line and CV file name.

Contact Person: Ms. Zheng

Tel: 02-81182331

Email: mjzheng@scut.edu.cn

Principal Investigator Profile

Dr. Wei Xiong is the Dean and Professor (Level II, full senior rank) at the School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, and a recipient of China’s High-Level Overseas Talent Program. He received his PhD from Tsinghua University in 2010. Dr. Xiong conducted postdoctoral research at the College of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, and subsequently pursued synthetic biology research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States, holding positions including Principal Research Scholar, Scientist, Senior Scientist (Group Leader), and Principal Scientist (Group Leader). He has led multiple research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), including the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), Biological  and Environmental Research (BER), Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, as well as industry-sponsored projects from Shell. His research has produced significant advances in microbial metabolism and low-carbon synthetic biology. Dr. Xiong has published extensively as corresponding or first author in leading international journals, includiing Nature Synthesis, Nature Plants, Nature Catalysis, PNAS, Energy & Environmental Science, and Metabolic Engineering.