Lead Bioinformatician

We are seeking a bioinformatician to work on a new project developing computational models for the representation of
multiple plant genomes, using Arabidopsis thaliana as an exemplar species. Working in partnership with collaborators in
Germany and Austria, the appointee will explore, develop and develop storage, search and visualization solutions,
combining methods developed in in the context of human genome studies with new tools and approaches that serve the
use cases we have in plant species.

Hours of work: Full time

Contract Type: Fixed Term (FTA)
Contract end date: 3 years
Salary: £36,270 - £43,215 per annum, depending on skills and
experience
Directorate: Science
Location: Kew Gardens, Richmond
Internal Only?: No
Closing Date: 12/09/2018
Ref No: 1442

More details
Kew is the world's leading botanic gardens, at the forefront of plant and fungal science, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and a major visitor attraction. We want a world where plants and fungi are understood, valued and conserved - because
our lives depend on them. We use the power of our science and the rich diversity of our gardens and collections to
provide knowledge, inspiration and understanding of why plants and fungi matter to everyone.

As the cost of nucleotide sequencing falls, researchers are increasingly deciphering the genomes of many individuals
from a population or species, but data models, search, and visualization tools for integrating these data, and allowing
their query as a whole, are relatively primitive. A typical model represents each additional genome in terms of
polymorphisms against a solitary reference sequence, but this approach has limitations, especially where the chosen
reference lacks sequence found in other individuals. The scientific community is increasing interested in the use of
graph-based models to represent these data. Arabidopsis thaliana was the first plant genome to be sequenced, and also
the first species for which a large number of genomes were made available (through the “1001 genomes”
project), initially in low coverage; complete assemblies are now in production for many of these strains. We are looking
to hire a talented bioinformatician to work with new and existing software to develop a working paradigm for the
representation and analysis of these data; and help construct an infrastructure for the handling of genomic data at Kew.

The successful candidate will have an M.Sc. or higher degree in biological or computational sciences, and an extensive
track record in biological research and/or service provision. You will have experience in handling next generation
sequencing data and a strong interest in genome sequence and its potential uses; you will be familiar with genome and
population scale data sets.

You will be expert in at least one modern computing programming language (Python, Perl, Java, etc.), be familiar with
database management systems, and be able to demonstrate your ability to learn new technologies as appropriate. You
will be able to work independently and to collaborate routinely with partners working at different institutions, and also
able to communicate about your work to other scientists, both here at Kew and in external scientific presentations.
Genomics-based approaches are increasingly being undertaken in a range of contexts across Kew, and it's an exciting
time to join us as we seek to catalogue and understand the diversity of plant and fungal life.

The salary will be £36,270 - £43,215 per annum, depending on skills and experience.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a broad range of Learning and Development opportunities, with access
to the Civil Service training curriculum, generous annual leave entitlement for new starters, family friendly policies, a
choice of competitive pensions and flexible benefits scheme.

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application through the online portal, by clicking “Apply
for this job”.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We guarantee
to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

No agencies please.

Employee Benefits - RBG Kew March 18.pdf

Job Profie.pdf
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