Research technician | Biological Sciences (Genomics)
Reference: BIOPOLIS 2023-02
Job description:
Research technician
Reference: BIOPOLIS 2023-02
Main research field: Biological Sciences (Genomics)
1. One fixed-term contract to a research technician position (Reference BIOPOLIS BIOPOLIS 2023-02) for 7 months is available at CIBIO-InBIO, through Associação BIOPOLIS, to pursue scientific research activities in the project TROPIBIO NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000046 in the scientific area of Genomics. This project aims to do a genetic characterization of several African leporid species as tool to measure biodiversity and inform conservation policies for African fauna.
The candidate is expected to perform the following tasks: inquire museum databases for samples of understudied African leporids, perform laboratorial molecular work including, DNA extraction using degraded DNA protocols, preparation of Illumina libraries, in-solution capture enrichment, bioinformatic processing of raw sequencing data, phylogenetic and population genomic analysis. In addition, the successful candidate will be writing reports and prepare manuscripts to be submitted in international journals.
CIBIO/InBIO fosters an international and multicultural research environment, currently hosting researchers from more than 17 countries, where the candidate should be well integrated. Working at CIBIO/InBIO provides an opportunity to apply skills to support activities on biology, biodiversity, ecology and evolution.
2. Applicable Legislation: Portuguese Labour Code, approved by Law 7/2009 of February 12, in its actual form.
3. The selection panel will be formed by: Joel Alves (PhD, Chair), Pedro Beja (PhD, Vowel) and Paulo Célio (PhD, Vowel).
4. The work will be primarily conducted at CIBIO-InBIO, UP – Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, located at Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde.
5. The gross monthly salary corresponds to Level 16 of the Consolidated Table of Allowances (TRU) 1320,15 € before tax.
6. Application can be submitted by candidates of any nationality holding a MSc degree in Biological Sciences, with emphasis in Genetics and Evolutionary Biology.
Desired skills and competencies that will be valued are:
- Research experience on African leporid biology
- Experience with contamination mitigation procedures for performing molecular work with degraded DNA samples
- Experience with laboratory protocols for DNA extraction of museum samples
- Experience with preparation of Illumina libraries using specialised protocols for degraded libraries
- Experience with in-solution capture enrichment protocols for targeting mitochondrial DNA
- Experience with bioinformatic pipelines for processing raw NGS sequencing data from museum specimens
- Experience with phylogenetic inference and population genomic analysis based on low-coverage sequencing data
The candidate should be able to work well within a team, have excellent Portuguese and English and have good communication skills. Furthermore, it is expected that the candidate possesses strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
In case the degree was awarded by a non-Portuguese higher education institution it must comply with the provisions of Decreto-Lei n.º 66/2018, de 16 de Agosto, and all formalities established therein must be complied with at the signature of work contract.
7. Candidates will be ranked based on:
- The relevance of work experience with museum/ancient genomics and with African leporids in particular (50%)
- Quality of the academic curriculum (30%)
- Motivation for applying to this position (20%)
8. Candidate final classification shall be given based on a scale 0 to 100.
9. The jury may decide to select candidates to an interview (in person or by videoconference) to establish the final ranking if the difference between the classification of the top two candidates is less than 10 points (based on the criteria in 7). The jury may not award the position if the profile of the candidates does not meet the requirements of the project.
10. Application formalization:
10.1 The applications are formalized at the electronic address http://www.cibio.pt. The following documents are required in a digital form (PDF format):
i) Curriculum vitae;
ii) Motivation Letter (including a brief description of research experience and why you are suitable for the announced position);
iii) Qualifications Certificate;
iv) Other relevant documentation
10.2. The application period is from 06/01/2023 to 13/01/2023
Expect starting date: 1st February 2023
11. Results announcement: The ranking of applications will be published at a visible and public area of CIBIO facilities, and all candidates will be informed by email about the result of their application. After notification, all candidates have 10 working days to comment.