Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Wilfried Haerty in the Research Faculty of the Earlham Institute, based in Norwich, UK.

Background:

Climate change imposes unprecedented challenges to organisms, both through the rapid change of their environment (e.g. temperature increase, droughts) and through exposure to emerging pathogens. Within this context, we aim to understand both the immediate response of an organism to environmental challenges and to characterise the genomic bases of adaptation to environment and resistance to pathogens. To achieve these goals, we leverage existing genetic diversity and specific environmental adaptations in closely related species and wild populations. We are applying this framework to the Nile tilapia, the third most important freshwater aquaculture species, for which we have generated significant genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic resources both for high-performance strains, wild population, and closely related species adapted to different environments.

As part of the Institute Strategic Programmes Cellular Genomics and Decoding Biodiversity, two highly collaborative projects bringing together molecular biologists, computational biologists, and computer scientists, we are seeking an enthusiastic and ambitious Postdoctoral Research Scientist to undertake experimental and computational analyses to unveil the genomic and transcriptomic bases of environmental acclimatisation and adaptation.

The role:

The successful candidate will apply molecular biology protocols to prepare ATAC-Seq, RNA-Seq, and DNA-Seq libraries from both bulk and single cell samples. The candidate will investigate the transcriptomic response of specific cell types to environmental challenges, and the genomic bases of environmental adaptation.

The project is led by Dr Wilfried Haerty, and the successful candidate will work closely with groups across EI (Dr Iain Macaulay) and with external collaborators.

At EI, the post holder will have access to cutting-edge facilities, and high-performance computing facilities and expertise. They will join an active community of experimental and computational biologists working on a wide range of cellular genomics and single-cell analyses. They will have the opportunity to contribute to other projects and the overall development and implementation of single-cell genomic approaches at EI.

The ideal candidate:

The successful applicant will have a PhD in molecular biology, bioinformatics, or a related subject. They will have significant experience generating and working with genomic/epigenomic/transcriptomic data. The candidate should have a demonstrable working knowledge of preparing transcriptomic or genomic libraries for sequencing. Bioinformatic knowledge and experience in programming languages such as Python, Perl, or R would be desirable. 

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £35,300 to £43,750 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.  This is a full-time post for a contract of 36 months. 

For further information and details of how to apply, please visit our website, via the 'Apply' button above, or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1004634. This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply.  Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. 

The closing date for applications will be 7 May 2024.

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