I.Institute Introduction
Institute of Emerging Agricultural Technology (iEAT) was established in November 2024. It is one of the subordinate research institutes of Shenzhen University of Science and Technology, with Professor Zhenbiao Yang serving as its founding director. Guided by SUAT’s vision of excellency in integrating education, research and entrepreneurship (ERE), iEAT aims to become an internationally recognized platform where the training of innovative and talented young scientists is aligned with transformative research in plant biology, development of disruptive agrobiotechnology, and technology transfer. The mission of iEAT is to advance knowledge and to develop technologies that will augment food security, promote sustainable agriculture, and create value-added agricultural systems. Research in iEAT will focus on protein-rich crops, functional plants, agricultural microorganisms, and photosynthetic chassis for the biosynthesis of high-value secondary metabolites and proteins by using an interdisciplinary approach integrating synthetic biology with precision multi-omics technologies, AI and engineering. Major research areas include but are not limited to:
1.Basic biology of protein-rich crops and transformative breeding technology for improving these crops；
2.Plant stress biology and biological improvement of saline soils；
3.Development of novel protein and lipid sources from photosynthetic organisms；
4.Research and development of functional plants (e.g., strawberries) and microalgae；
5. AI in agricultural research and practice；
6. Research and development of efficient chassis for biomanufacturing high-valued recombinant proteins and natural secondary metabolites.
II.Lab Manager Introduction
Dr. Zhenbiao Yang is a Chair Professor of Synthetic Biology(SUAT), Principal of Center for Plant Cell Factory andDirector of the Institute of Emerging Agricultural Technology(SUAT), EMBO Associate Member. His contributions include:
1. Discovering and elucidating the mechanism of auxin signal perception and transduction at the cell surface.
2. Unveiling the mechanism for auxin-mediated rapid growth, solving the 50 years-old puzzle of "acid growth hypothesis".
3. Identifying ROP GTPase and ROP-based signaling networks as well as their roles in plant growth, development, and high-yield processes.
4. Establishing the design principles of polar cell growth in plants by elucidating the mechanisms underlying rapid pollen tube growth and leaf epidermal cell morphogenesis.
Research Areas:
1. Studies of auxin signaling mechanisms and their applications in synthetic biology.
2. Design and reconstruction of circuitries underpinning the differentiation of specialized plant cells.
3. Studies of molecular mechanisms for high-yield traits of crops and their applications in germplasm innovation.
4. Studies of duckweed biology and its potential use as an alternative protein source.
5. Engineering plant chassis cells for advanced applications in biomanufacturing.
6. Controlled synthesis and membrane assembly of transmembrane proteins in liposomes
III.Recruitment Positions
1.Postdoctoral Fellows
2-3Research Assistants(Duckweed Group/ Soybean Group)
IV. Job Responsibilities
1. Postdoctoral Fellow
(1) Breeding and developing new plant varieties with elite traits such as high yield, good quality, and stress resistance.
(2) Collecting and organizing various data during plant breeding (including agronomic traits, quality indicators, and genetic data) and establishing a comprehensive data management system.
2. Research Assistant
- Duckweed Team
(1)Assisting the PI in conducting plant genetic breeding-related experiments, including hybrid breeding, gene editing/transgenic breeding, gene mining for key traits, and germplasm collection and management.
(2)Jointly carrying out research projects with team members; assisting the team in applying for various research projects, patents, and completing related research tasks.
- Soybean Team (1-2 Positions)
(1)Primarily assisting the PI in plant molecular genetic breeding and developing bioreactors based on plant chassis.
(2)Conducting mining of elite genes for key crop traits, studying the molecular mechanisms underlying important agronomic traits in crops such as soybean, rice, and tomato, and engaging in germplasm collection and management.
(3) Assisting in research project management and preparing summary reports.
(4)Participating in daily laboratory management.
V. Application Requirements
1.Postdoctoral Fellow
(1)Candidates should have obtained or be about to obtain a doctoral degree in crop genetic breeding, molecular biology, or related majors within the past 3 years.
(2)Prior experience in molecular marker-assisted breeding, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas system), mutant library construction, analysis of molecular regulatory networks for key traits, high-throughput sequencing data analysis, or molecular mechanism research is preferred.
(3)Candidates who have published relevant papers in international academic journals will be given priority.
2. Research Assistant
-Duckweed Team
(1)Candidates should have obtained or be about to obtain a master’s degree in agronomy, crop breeding, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, or related majors within the past 3 years.
(2)Proficiency in molecular biology experimental techniques is required.
(3)Candidates who have published relevant papers in international academic journals will be preferred.
-Soybean Team
(1)A master’s degree or above is required, with a professional background in genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, or related fields.
(2)Proficiency in molecular biology experimental techniques is required.
(3)Prior research experience in soybean cultivation, soybean genetics, gene editing, soybean genetic transformation, or rice gene editing is highly preferred.
(4)Candidates should be in good health, work earnestly and responsibly, and possess excellent communication skills and team spirit.
VI.Application
Candidates interested in applying for the Postdoctoral Fellow position or Research Assistant (Duckweed Team) position, please sendtheresume (required in PDF format) to huangw89@163.com. Please indicate "Applied Position - Name - Yang Zhenbiao Research Group" in the email subject and attachment title.
Candidates interested in applying for the Research Assistant (Soybean Team) position, please sendtheresume (required in PDF format) to wangzhili0804@gmail.com or 2531005286@qq.com. Please use "Research Assistant - Name - University Name - Major" as the email subject and attachment title.
Study at iEAT
