Bioinformatics Scientist Genome Bioinformatics for Energy Crop Research

Rothamsted Research Rothamsted Research is the longest established agricultural research station in the world. An important part of our mission is to undertake cutting-edge research that will increase crop productivity and improve the sustainability of food and energy crops. A new and exciting strategic research programme in Rothamsted will exploit genetic, genomic, transcriptomics and metabolomics data to identify novel opportunities for improving the performance of willow as a sustainable energy crop. 

Rothamsted Research therefore wishes to recruit a Bioinformatics Scientist who will be responsible for developing bioinformatics resources and undertaking data analysis to support our crop genetics research and the improvement of willow as a bioenergy crop. Duties will involve the management of next-generation sequence data from transcriptome and genome sequencing projects and the development of innovative and user-friendly tools for the analysis and interpretation of large ‘omics data sets to identify and prioritize genes which would be validated as targets for research and breeding. The person appointed will work closely with crop scientists and be part of the Applied Bioinformatics group, which is responsible for a range of crop informatics projects. They will also be collaborating with other centres of bioinformatics and plant science research (e.g. the BBSRC Genome Analysis Centre).

Applicants should have a PhD in Bioinformatics or related subject (or a Master’s degree with equivalent experience). A background in working with biologists is required with experience in developing computational methods and analysis of next-generation sequence data. The ideal candidate would be competent in at least two of the following programming languages: Java, Python, Perl, R, PHP. It is expected that successful candidates will be able to demonstrate that they can deliver practical bioinformatics software solutions and have the initiative and communication skills necessary to participate in a dynamic and demanding project.

The post is a four year full time appointment at Band D with a starting salary normally in the region of £28,110 to £31,677 per annum.

Vacancy reference: 1182
Closing date: 28 January 2013

To apply, click on the button below for an application form and return to the HR Group, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, tel 01582 763133 (e-mail rres.hr@rothamsted.ac.uk)