Research Fellow in Bioinformatics for Plant Genome Biology Ref 10609:
School/department: School of Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Biomedicine Subject Group.
Hours: Full time or part time hours considered up to a maximum of 1FTE. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom
Contract: Fixed term for 3 years
Reference: 10609
Salary: starting at £36,333 to £43,155 per annum, pro rata if part time
Placed on: 03 March 2023
Closing date: 31 March 2023. Applications must be received by midnight of the closing date.
Expected interview date: spring 2023
Expected start date: spring/summer 2023
Job description
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Bioinformatics based in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex; one of the UK’s most prestigious universities.
Undertaking research in a vibrant and diverse research environment with an excellent international reputation, you will work as a key member of a research team investigating the function and evolution of plant genomes and transposable elements (TEs). TEs represent the majority of eukaryotic DNA, for example they comprise 50% of the human genome and up to 80-90% of the genome of plants. TEs were originally regarded as selfish DNA, but their importance in genotypic and phenotypic evolution is now well established.
Our lab is interested in understanding the interactions between TEs and their host genomes in plants by focusing both on mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives. Having a very strong background in bioinformatics, and based on your interests, you will take the lead in projects that may include i) the co-option of cis-regulatory TE motifs by host regulatory networks in grasses, ii) the impact of TEs in the function and evolution of centromeres in Arabidopsis thaliana and related species, iii) the capture of gene fragments by TEs and how this affects gene function and genome evolution.
These projects will take advantage of the large number of high-quality genome assemblies that are becoming available, including within a single species, allowing in depth comparative genomics. The post involves UK-based and international collaborators, e.g. Ian Henderson (Cambridge, UK), Detlef Weigel (Max Planck Institute, Germany) and Brandon Gaut (University of California Irvine, USA).
This is an excellent opportunity for a computational biologist wishing to apply their skills to exploring the role of TEs in fundamental processes of plant genomes. You will be an expert in handling and analysing large-scale genetic/epigenetic data, genome-wide comparisons, pattern discovery, and designing annotation or visualization tools (it is not necessary to be an expert in all of these at the same time!).
You will be able to develop research objectives, contribute to grant applications, supervise the work of others, present at conferences, and prepare scientific publications. The position is supported by a grant of The Royal Society. Please contact Dr Alexandros Bousios alex.bousios@sussex.ac.uk for informal enquiries.
The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.
Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.
The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
You can find out more about our values and our EDI Strategy, Inclusive Sussex, on our webpages.
Download job description and person specification Ref 10609 [PDF 203.14KB]
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed from the UK.
Visa Sponsorship Queries:
- This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code and meets the salary requirements for Skilled Worker Sponsorship if full time. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.
How to apply
Download our academic application form [DOC 199.50KB] and Personal Details and Equal Opportunities Form [DOC 119.50KB] and fill in all sections. Email your completed application, and personal details and equal opportunities form, to jobapps@sussex.ac.uk
You should attach your application form and all documents to the email in PDF format (we are unable to accept applications as google.docs or .pages) and use the format job reference number / job title / your name in the subject line.
You can also send your application by post to Human Resources Division, Sussex House, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH.