CSIRO Industry PhD Scholarship: Delivery mechanisms for emerging livestock cattle feed supplements into extensive grazing systems in Australia

Funding and duration

four year scholarship package totalling approximately $48,000 per annum tax exempt (2026 rate); four-year scholarship and research training program.

Project overview

Project title

Delivery mechanisms for emerging livestock cattle feed supplements into extensive grazing systems in Australia.

Project description

This Project will investigate several methods for delivery or co-delivery of cattle feed supplements. The expected outcome is studying and improving stability at various environmental conditions during supplement manufacturing, encapsulation options, slow-release technologies and improvement of efficacy and water treatment technologies. This Project will improve delivery systems as one of the bottlenecks identified for adoption of methane reducing supplements has been delivery in extensive systems.

Supervisory team

University

Name of university supervisor | Phil Pope

Name of university | Queensland University of Technology

Email address | phil.pope@qut.edu.au

CSIRO

Name of CSIRO supervisor | Stuart Denman

Email address | stuart.denman@csiro.au

CSIRO Research Unit | Agriculture and Food

Industry

Name of industry supervisor | Joe McMeniman

Name of business/organisation | Meat and Livestock Australia

Email address | jmcmeniman@mla.com.au

Further details

Primary location of student | Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia

Industry engagement component location | Meat and Livestock Australia, Level 8, 2 King Street, Bowen Hills QLD 4006, Australia

Other locations | CSIRO, Level 6, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia QLD 4067, Australia

Ideal student skillset | Consideration will be given to applicants with either set of expertise:A PhD student with bioinformatics experience will generate and analyse complex microbiome sequence data to complement existing rumen microbiome datasets. Via multi-omics analyses, they will create an inventory of microbial genomes and lists of expressed metabolic features that are signature for the keystone microorganisms that drive rumen function. It is expected that this project will formulate a dedicated “wish-list” of cultivation targets and will engage other project partners in guiding cultivation work that uses CMR’s world leading high-throughput cultivation platform. Required PhD student academic qualifications:Honours/Msc degree in microbiology/bioinformatics, with specific emphasis on functional microbial multi-omic data analysis.Knowledge of a programming language e.g. Python / R.Desired experiences:Molecular laboratory, bacteriology and/or cultivation-based experimental workNetwork-based analysis of multi-omics data A PhD student with molecular lab experience will primarily engage in the high throughput cultivation and characterization of core microbiota. To characterise core microbiota, they will design and implement synthetic consortia to focus on core metabolic features that drive rumen digestion and methane formation. They will collaborate with project partners and utilize meta-omic technologies to characterize microbiota of interest and additionally verify the importance of their cultivation targets against global datasets from European consortiums. Required PhD student academic qualifications:Honours/Msc degree in microbiology/bacteriology/biochemistry with specific emphasis on molecular techniques.Desired experiences:Anaerobic microbiologySingle-cell sorting/sequencingBioinformatic analyses of microbial functional omic dataKnowledge of a programming language e.g. Python / R.

Application close date | Open until position filled

Apply | QUT