Direct link to pdf:
Description:
We are seeking a highly motivated, skilled and organized computational biologist to join our recently founded microbiome research group. We are interested in studying ecological and evolutionary factors that determine the structure, function and diversity of microbial communities – with a focus on the ocean ecosystem and the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans.
Embedded in the Institute of Microbiology at the Department of Biology, we develop and combine computational and experimental approaches to integrate quantitative ‘meta-omics’ readouts with contextual information, with the goal to better understand and predict the role of environmental microorganisms and the underlying mechanisms of host-microbial homeostasis.
The postholder is able to independently develop, implement and maintain state-of-the-art methodology and infrastructure for microbiome data analysis (databases for original and derived data, workflows/pipelines for omics-data, tools for statistical analysis, web-interfaces, etc.) and analyze meta-omics data from environmental and host-associated microbiome studies. Her/his motivation is to provide cutting-edge support for ongoing research projects in the group and showcase the potential of her/his developments in the context of a research project in the area of microbiome research.
Essential qualifications include:
- postgraduate degree in computational biology or related field
- advanced programming skills (e.g., C/C++, Python/Perl, R, Unix/Bash)
- experience in biological/statistical data analysis (in genomics or related field)
- strong communication and teamwork skills
The following additional qualifications will be advantageous:
- background in biostatistics and machine learning
- background in (environmental/host-associated) population genetics / genomics
- background in (environmental/host-associated) ecology, evolution
- experience in software development and user support
- experience in developing/using software pipelines (in an HPC environment)
- experience in meta-omics (including NGS) data analysis
- basic knowledge of HTML and web service development
Comments: Applications and informal inquiries should be directed by email to Prof. Dr. Shinichi Sunagawa (ssunagawa@ethz.ch). More information about Prof. Sunagawa’s research experience and interests can be found at www.sunagawa.de and http://www.micro.biol.ethz.ch/research/sunagawa.html.
Time frame: Position remains open until filled. Applications received before end of October 2016 will be prioritized.
