Postdoc: Metabolite Gene Cluster Identification 1647 views

Postdoc position in “Secondary metabolite gene cluster identification and characterisation”

Project: Novo Nordisk Foundation funded Challenge Grant project “Integration of Informatics and Metabolic Engineering for the discovery of Novel Antibiotics (IIMENA)”

The selected candidate will actively contribute to develop and implement technologies in the field of metabolic engineering to identify and produce novel secondary metabolites as potential future antibiotics. IIMENA is an international excellence project involving partner institutions from Spain and South Korea.

Major Tasks include:

1. Coordinating genome-sequencing of interesting actinomycete producer strains
2. Genome mining for secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters
3. Engineering of actinomycete producer strains (for example using CRISPR / CRISPRi) including the development of automatized high-throughput protocols
4. Molecular characterization of the gene clusters

5. The postdoctoral researcher will work in close collaboration with the other project scientists at DTU and with the external project partners in Spain and South Korea.

Qualifications Conditions

Candidates should have a PhD degree in microbiology, biotechnology or equivalent field.

Further qualifications

Excellent laboratory skills, practical experience of state-of-the-art molecular microbiology methods and tools,

1. Good knowledge of relevant bioinformatics approaches.
2. Knowledge and experimental experiences in microbial natural products, actinomycete biology or genetic / metabolic engineering are highly advantageous.
3. Knowledge of handling and processing larger scale next-generation sequencing (NGS) data, experience of using scripting languages (preferably Python) and relational databases to analyse such data are advantageous.
4. Ambition, strong work ethics and attention to detail
5. Excellent methodical, communication and team-playing skills, but also the ability to work independently towards applied research goals in a multi-disciplinary international team of scientists.
6. Excellent English skills for working in a highly international research group.

Salary and terms of employment
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed with the relevant union.

Workplace: The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at DTU main campus in Kgs. Lyngby.
Duration: 3 years

More Information
Further information may be obtained from Dr. Tilmann Weber (IIMENA coordinator) by email tiwe@biosustain.dtu.dk.

Application process
Deadline: 20. August 2017.
Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. Fill in the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

1. Application (cover letter)
2. CV
3. Diploma (MSc/PhD)
4. List of publications