Application Deadlines: PhD – open for January, April, or September 2027 entry | Postdocs – open until filled
| Positions | Multiple fully funded PhD students + 1-2 postdoctoral researchers |
| University | UC Davis – Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering |
| Location | Davis, California, USA |
| Funding & Salary | PhD: full scholarship + full tuition, stipend at least $38,088/year; Postdocs: at least $71,491/year |
| Start Date | PhD: January, April, or September 2027; postdocs flexible |
| Application Deadline | Open (apply early) |
| How to Apply | Email CV to vipwang@ucdavis.edu |
Scholarship Description:
Dr. Yi Wang’s research group in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is recruiting multiple PhD students and one to two postdoctoral researchers, working on the frontiers of microbial metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. PhD students may enroll in January, April, or September 2027; postdoctoral start dates are flexible, and visiting students and scholars in related fields are also welcome to join the group. The group focuses on microbial synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and bioengineering to address major challenges in energy, the environment, agriculture, and human health, with research topics spanning biomanufacturing, environmental sustainability, and agriculture- and health-related biotechnology. More information about the group can be found at: https://syntheticbiologylab.ucdavis.edu/
PhD students will receive a full scholarship and a full tuition waiver, with a minimum stipend of $38,088 per year. Postdoctoral researchers will receive a highly competitive salary, with a minimum of $71,491 per year.
Dr. Yi Wang is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis. His research centers on microbial synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and bioengineering, addressing global challenges including the energy crisis, environmental sustainability, and agricultural and human health. Building on cutting-edge gene-editing technologies, his group has established synthetic biology platforms in several non-model microbial hosts, with breakthroughs in bioenergy and chemical production, waste valorization, and pathogen detection and control. Dr. Wang has published more than 120 SCI papers in journals including Nature Communications, Metabolic Engineering, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, ACS Synthetic Biology, Applied Energy, and Current Opinion in Biotechnology, and has filed 12 patent applications. Over the past five years, he has led research projects funded by more than 10 million US dollars from federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and NASA. He received the “Outstanding Young Scholar Award” from the Overseas Chinese Agricultural, Biological and Food Engineers Association in 2019, and was nominated for the “New Holland Young Researcher Award” of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for three consecutive years (2018–2020). He serves on review panels for U.S. federal funding agencies, has reviewed manuscripts more than 400 times for over 100 journals, and is currently Executive Editor of Bioresource Technology and Associate Editor of Synthetic Biology and Engineering, Food and Bioproducts Processing, and BMC Microbiology.
The University of California, Davis is a top public research university in the United States, regarded as one of the “Public Ivies”. It is ranked 34th among U.S. universities and 8th among public universities by U.S. News. UC Davis is located between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, adjacent to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, and the three institutions maintain close collaborations. The city of Davis itself is a quiet and livable college town, only about 20 minutes’ drive from Sacramento and about one hour from San Francisco, offering students rich internship and career opportunities with both tranquility and convenience.
Available Subjects:
- Microbial synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and bioengineering.
- Biomanufacturing: bioenergy and chemical production from biomass.
- Environmental sustainability and waste valorization.
- Agriculture- and health-related biotechnology, including pathogen detection and control.
Eligibility criteria:
- Students and scholars with backgrounds in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, bioengineering, environmental engineering, microbiology, or related fields are encouraged to apply.
- The UC Davis Graduate School currently waives GRE scores for PhD applicants.
- English language requirements: TOEFL iBT no less than 80 (for tests taken before January 21, 2026), or the new version of TOEFL no less than 4.5 out of 6 (for tests taken from January 21, 2026), or IELTS no less than 7.0. TOEFL or IELTS may also be replaced by a Duolingo English Test score of at least 115.
- Dr. Yi Wang admits PhD students through three graduate programs: Biological Systems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Microbiology. Applicants may choose the program that best fits their background and interests.
Application Procedure:
Interested applicants should send a CV/resume to Dr. Yi Wang at: vipwang@ucdavis.edu
For more information about the group, please visit the lab website: https://syntheticbiologylab.ucdavis.edu/
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