JoinThe “Strawberry Synthetic Biology” Laboratory of Professor Chongchi Liu’s group is affiliated with the Faculty of Synthetic Biology and the Emerging Agricultural Technology of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT), with access to smart greenhouses, vertical farms, and other supporting facilities. The team currently consists of 1 Associate Researcher, 1 Associate Professor, 5 Postdoctoral Fellows, 3 Research Assistants, 2 Laboratory Technicians, and 4 Master’s and Doctoral students.
Our research focuses on three core directions:
1. Dwarf, pesticide-free, year-round fruiting strawberry varieties exclusively for urban agriculture;
2. Light-controlled and AI-assisted cis-element genetic circuits;
3. Application of plant chassis cells for nutritional enhancement, to create “super fruits” that deliver comprehensive nutrition, anti-aging benefits, and immune support in a single bite.
Professor Zhongchi Liu is a Chair Professor at SUAT and a recipient of the National Key Talent Program. She was formerly a tenured Professor at the University of Maryland, USA, an internationally renowned expert in developmental biology, and a leading scholar in the field of strawberry molecular genetics and fruit development. She has established a comprehensive set of molecular genetic tools and omics resources for wild strawberries and has made systematic and fundamental contributions to research on strawberry fruit development, fruit diversity, the mechanisms of auxin biosynthesis and signal transduction in fruit and seed development, and the asexual reproduction mechanism of strawberries. She has published 104 SCI papers in top journals including Nature, Genes & Development, Nature Communications, The Plant Cell, and PNAS. She also serves as an editor for prestigious international plant journals such as The Plant Journal and Frontiers in Plant Science: Plant Evolution and Development.
Research Areas: Molecular mechanisms of strawberry fruit development and asexual reproduction; synthetic biology-based modification of strawberry plant architecture, flowering, and fruit traits for vertical agriculture applications; application of plant chassis cells for efficient production of high-value proteins and small molecules.
The group is equipped with internationally leading experimental equipment, sufficient research funding, an interdisciplinary cooperation network, and a clean and tidy laboratory environment, providing long-term support for innovation. We adhere to a “one-on-one” mentorship system, offering hands-on guidance through every step of topic selection, experimental design, paper writing, and thesis defense. Our team has an open and inclusive atmosphere, encourages bold exploration and tolerance for trial and error, and holds regular academic salons for close interactions with leading scholars at home and abroad. Our members come from all over China, and we advocate an open, inclusive, and joyful research culture to make both research and life fulfilling. In addition, we have established joint training and exchange cooperation mechanisms with top domestic and international universities and research institutions including Sun Yat-sen University and Fudan University, and outstanding members may be recommended for further studies at prestigious institutions. We welcome students interested in plant science, bioinformatics, food science, horticulture, artificial intelligence, agricultural engineering, and other related disciplines to join us.
We look forward to working with you in Shenzhen, the city of innovation, to redefine the way we enjoy fruits! Interested students, please send your CV and research interests to: luochu@suat-sz.edu.cn.
The laboratory is affiliated with the Faculty of Synthetic Biology, the Emerging Agricultural Technology of SUAT, and the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology. It is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments including intelligent constant-temperature culture rooms, a laser confocal microscopy platform, and an HPLC-MS/MS metabolomics analyzer, supporting full-process detection from genes to metabolites. The team currently consists of 7 Postdoctoral Fellows, 2 Research Assistants, 1 Laboratory Technician, and 3 Master’s and Doctoral students. Our members come from all over China, and the group implements a policy of “open data, shared reagents,” with weekly progress meetings and journal club sessions, aiming to build an open, rigorous, and joyful culture of interdisciplinary innovation.
Our research focuses on auxin-mediated plastic development, cyclic nucleotide signaling networks, and synthetic biology-enabled crop improvement, directly serving urban vertical farming and precision nutrition.
Outstanding members may be recommended for joint training or short-term exchanges with Sun Yat-sen University, Fudan University, and other institutions.
Students interested in plant science, genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, metabolomics, synthetic biology, or AI + agriculture are welcome to apply. Please send your CV to: luochu@suat-sz.edu.cn.
Professor Linlin Qi is a Associate Professor at the Faculty of Synthetic Biology, SUAT, a recipient of the National Overseas Young Talent Program, and a Tier B Selected Candidate of Shenzhen’s “Pengcheng Peacock Program.”
By integrating multidisciplinary technical approaches including plant molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, and synthetic biology, his research mainly focuses on the molecular mechanisms of auxin-regulated adaptive growth and plastic development in plants, functional dissection of plant cyclic nucleotide monophosphates (cNMPs), and plant synthetic biology. He was the first to discover that auxin receptors *TIR1/AFBs* possess nucleotide cyclase activity, which has opened up a new direction for auxin signal transduction research. He has demonstrated the critical role of cNMPs in auxin signal transduction, which is expected to put an end to the nearly half-century-long debate on the significance of cNMPs in plants and advance related research in the field.
He has published more than 20 SCI papers with over 2,000 total citations. Among them, he has published six academic papers as the first or co-first author in internationally renowned journals including Nature, The Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, New Phytologist, and PLoS Genetics. He has served as a peer reviewer for numerous prestigious journals and delivered academic reports at international conferences on multiple occasions.
Research Areas: Plant cell signal transduction and its applications in agricultural synthetic biology.
Current Main Research Directions:
1. Auxin signal transduction and its applications in agricultural synthetic biology;
2. Functional dissection of cyclic nucleotide monophosphates (cNMPs) in plant cell signal transduction and their applications in agricultural synthetic biology;
Crop improvement, nutritional enhancement, and green manufacturing based on synthetic biology strategies.
Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) is a public university founded by the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, approved by the Ministry of Education of China in May 2024. Located in Shenzhen, a city brimming with charm, momentum, vitality, and innovation, SUAT is built on the high-quality and abundant scientific, educational, industrial, and teaching resources of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT), and strives to build a world-class new-type research university with a high starting point, high level, high standards, and high quality.
With the goal of achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, and independently cultivating top innovative talents urgently needed by the country, SUAT draws on the school-running model of world-class science and engineering universities. It runs the university through industry-education integration and science-education integration, develops academic programs through interdisciplinary collaboration, and cultivates talents through a three-in-one model (College, Research Institute, Academy Faculty). Through the three-track training system covering academic, engineering, and entrepreneurial paths, SUAT provides elite undergraduate education and nurtures outstanding scientists, excellent engineers, and innovative entrepreneurs through personalized education.
Led by Professor Zhenbiao Yang, the Emerging Agricultural Technology of SUAT aims to apply synthetic biology principles and engineering biology methods to accelerate systematic research on the mechanisms of high yield, high quality, and high stress tolerance in crops, develop disruptive new technologies for crop breeding and saline-alkali land utilization, expand crop varieties (e.g., microalgae, duckweed) and production models (e.g., urban agriculture, vertical farming), and drive the development of agriculture towards higher efficiency, environmental protection, and sustainability. The Institute attaches great importance to the integration of industry, academia, and research, and adheres to a research system covering basic research, technology development, and industrialization in a complete chain. Key research areas include but are not limited to: (1) Chassis biology; (2) Breeding of crops with high light use efficiency and high protein content; (3) Research on plant stress resistance mechanisms and innovative cultivation of crops in saline-alkali land; (4) Development of novel protein and oil sources based on microalgae and duckweed; (5) Basic and industrial R&D of functional plants (e.g., strawberry) and microalgae; (6) Exploration of next-generation standardized, modular, digital, and intelligent facility agriculture development models.
We welcome research and technical talents from fields including but not limited to basic and applied plant, algal, and microbial biology, synthetic biology, omics and computational biology, agricultural artificial intelligence, and biological breeding.
Professor Positions: Chair Professor, Distinguished Professor, Full Professor, Associate Professor;
Other Research Positions: Postdoctoral Fellow, Full-Time Researcher, Research Assistant.
(1) Chair Professor / Distinguished Professor: Candidates shall be internationally outstanding scholars in their fields, with academic achievements widely recognized and respected by the academic community at home and abroad, capable of leading the development of the discipline or catching up with the international advanced level; with extensive experience in cultivating young researchers.
(2) Full Professor: Candidates shall have sustained high-level academic outputs and extensive academic influence in relevant fields, with the potential to become a leading figure in the discipline and certain international visibility; generally shall be an independent Principal Investigator (PI) at a well-known university or research institution at home and abroad.
(3) Associate Professor: Candidates shall have achieved excellent academic results, demonstrated strong academic influence and development capacity, with achievements recognized by the academic community at home and abroad; generally shall be talents under 40 years old, with independent development capacity and sustainable growth potential.
(4) Postdoctoral Fellow: Candidates shall be about to obtain a doctoral degree or have obtained a doctoral degree for no more than 3 years, and generally under 35 years old; with high academic level and strong research capacity.
(5) Full-Time Researcher: Candidates shall have obtained a doctoral degree, with more than 2 years of work experience, strong research capacity, and team cooperation spirit. Appointments can be made as Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, or Assistant Research Professor according to qualifications.
(6) Research Assistant: Candidates shall have obtained a master’s degree; capable of assisting in project research and daily project management.
Basic Responsibilities for Professor Positions:
1. Abide by the core mission and development plan of SUAT, and independently lead the research group to carry out innovative scientific research;
2. Independently apply for various scientific research projects and funding;
3. Manage the research group and supervise the research work of the group;
4. Train graduate students and teach graduate courses;
5. Actively organize and participate in relevant activities of SUAT, including academic conferences, student recruitment, faculty hiring, exchanges, and cooperation.
Basic Responsibilities for Other Research Positions:
1. Conduct independent research under the guidance of the group leader;
2. Independently or assist the group leader in applying for various research projects;
3. Assist in supervising the research work of doctoral students and other members in the group;
4. Assist in laboratory management.
1. Remuneration Package
l Provide competitive remuneration and benefits, which are negotiable on a case-by-case basis for exceptionally outstanding candidates.
l Eligible candidates can enjoy preferential personal income tax policies and Shenzhen talent post allowances.
2. Research Support
l Provide sufficient laboratory and office space, as well as research start-up funding according to the candidate’s qualifications.
l Provide access to national key laboratories, national technology/industrial innovation centers, major science and technology infrastructure in Shenzhen, BSL-3 laboratories, and large-scale instruments and equipment of scientific research laboratories.
l Support the recruitment of postdoctoral fellows and provide corresponding funding.
3. Living Support
l Guarantee the demand for talent housing, providing 80–150 m² talent housing at 1/3 of the market rent; eligible candidates can enjoy the preferential policy of purchasing talent housing at 60% of the market price.
l Provide high-quality educational resources through high-standard affiliated educational institutions covering the full system of kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, and senior high school.
l Provide high-standard medical security for talents, including health checkups for high-end talents; provide commercial medical insurance for talents without social security benefits in China.
l Eligible for household registration in Shenzhen, and the spouse and minor children can apply for accompanying household registration.
1. For Professor Positions, please provide the following materials:
l Full CV
l Cover letter
l Research plan
l Academic profile from Web of Science or Google Scholar
l At least three original letters of recommendation (including from the doctoral supervisor and collaborators during the working period, with the name, affiliation, title, and email address of the referee clearly indicated)
2. For Other Positions, please provide the following materials:
l Full CV
l Cover letter
l For Postdoctoral Fellow or Full-Time Researcher applicants: at least three original letters of recommendation (including from the supervisor and collaborators during the working period, with the name, affiliation, title, and email address of the referee clearly indicated); no recommendation letters are required for other positions.
Interested candidates can send the application materials related to the applied position to yangzhenbiao@suat-sz.edu.cn at any time. Please indicate “Name + Position Applied For” in the email subject line. After reviewing the application materials, the Institute will notify shortlisted candidates for interviews and other follow-up procedures. All received application materials will be kept confidential and will not be returned. Candidates who pass the resume screening will be invited for an interview, and those who do not pass will not be notified separately.
(1) Formulate the technical planning of the agricultural automation platform, lead the core architecture design and technical breakthroughs, and be responsible for the foundation building from 0 to 1;
(2) Independently manage the whole process of agricultural automation R&D/achievement transformation projects, and take full responsibility for project outcomes;
(3) Be responsible for the R&D of core products/systems of the platform, lead the development and optimization of key modules, and overcome technical bottlenecks;
(4) Take charge of the initial team establishment and R&D mechanism building; undertake talent training responsibilities, and guide young technical personnel/graduate students;
(5) Investigate cutting-edge technologies in the industry, carry out cooperation and exchanges, and promote the transformation and application of new technological achievements;
(6) Summarize and promote technical achievements, write core technical documents and patent materials, and enhance industry influence;
(7) Coordinate cross-departmental resources to ensure the advancement of platform R&D, operation, and maintenance, and independently solve major technical and management problems.
(1) Master’s degree or above, meeting one of the following requirements: Master’s degree with at least 7 years of engineering R&D experience; Doctoral degree with at least 5 years of engineering R&D experience; or holding a nationally recognized professional senior title in engineering;
(2) Master core key technologies, with experience in managing scientific research platforms with a budget of more than 10 million yuan, and granted equipment-related patents;
(3) Possess the ability of engineering practice-based talent training, with experience in supervising graduate students;
(4) Have a high sense of responsibility and rigorous work attitude, strong problem-solving ability and emergency response capacity, as well as good communication and coordination skills and team cooperation spirit;
(5) Candidates with experience in developing cultivation equipment for photosynthetic microorganisms (e.g., microalgae, duckweed) are preferred;
(6) Candidates with experience in undertaking national key R&D projects are preferred.
(1) Provide competitive remuneration and benefits;
(2) Provide support for talent housing, medical care, children’s school enrollment, and other living needs.
Please combine the following application materials into a single PDF file and send it to the recruitment email of the Emerging Agricultural Technology: sieat-recruit@suat-sz.edu.cn, with the email subject line “Application - Position Name - Your Name”:
(1) Personal CV;
(2) Professional title certificate;
(3) Other materials that can prove your ability and qualifications.
Candidates who pass the resume screening will be invited for an interview, and those who do not pass will not be notified separately.
No.1 Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen City
synbiofaculty@suat-sz.edu.cn
0755-2665-3584
Shenzhen University of Technology Guangdong ICP 2021 148220 No.
