Metagenomics Research Scientist

Metagenomics Research Scientist

QIB - Quadram Institute Bioscience

Norwich, United Kingdom

Applications are invited for a Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Hildebrand at the Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB), Norwich, UK.

Background:

In this BBSRC-funded position, the impact of plant-based diets on the gut microbiome will be explored in metagenomes, including tracing bacterial strains, reconstructing their genomes and metabolic food-webs in the gastrointestinal ecosystem. This will be used to understand the impact a changing environment (food sources, immune system, invading pathogens) have on ecosystem stability. Questions we will be asking are, for example:

• How can food-derived pathogens be effectively prevented from colonizing the gastrointestinal tract?
• Does switching to a plant-based diet lead to a destabilised gut ecosystem (or reverse)?
• How can the gut microbiome supplement essential micronutrients to the human body?

To answer these questions, the postholder will be primarily working with metagenomic data from diet interventions, using machine learning to predict genomes, functions and ecosystem states.

The work will build on bioinformatic tools available in the group, that will be further refined/newly developed to enable cutting-edge bioinformatic approaches in the project.

Long-term, this research will contribute to developing pre-/pro-biotic strategies to reduce autoinflammatory disease and enable healthy aging in a wide population. In addition, the postholder will be involved in organizing group tasks, such as helping in supervising junior researchers, submitting grants, developing new research programmes and organizing outreach events.

The applicant will have direct access to established PacBio/ONT, Hi-C and single cell sequencing facilities, as well as one of UK’s largest HPC cluster at the NRP.

The ideal candidate:

The applicant needs to hold a PhD (or equivalent) in biology, bioinformatics, computer science or a related discipline with a background and/or interest in at least one of the following subjects:

• Microbiomes, evolution & biodiversity;
• Nutrition & patient cohorts;
• Molecular biology & Metagenomics.

The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in gut microbiology and nutrition, experience in conducting scientific experiments independently, writing papers, presenting work and grant writing. Basic statistics and programming skills (either R, python, Perl, C++, or equivalent) is expected. Specialized skills will be taught and developed through mentorship and collaborations.

Apply NowDeadline 11 July