PhD Bioinformatics Analyst

Ph.D. position (m/f/d) in the context of a third-party-funded project on Bioinformatic analysis of gene expression studies

The Bundeswehr guarantees the security, sovereignty, and foreign policy capability of the Federal Republic of Germany. In addition, it protects citizens, supports allies, and provides administrative assistance in the event of natural disasters and severe accidents at home. In doing so, it is subject to the decisions of the Bundestag, the German Basic Law, and international law.

Institution

The Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology in Munich is a departmental research institute of the German Federal Government. It conducts defense medical research and development in the field of medical management against radioactive substances as well as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. The tendered project will occur in close cooperation between our institute and the Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine in Regensburg.

Department

Employment location: Ernst-von-Bergmann Kaserne, Neuherbergstraße 11, 80937 München

Job Description

• You will be working on a third-party-funded consortium project investigating the therapeutic effect of a substance on survival in different animal models after exposed to ionizing radiation. For this purpose, transcriptome data (NGS) will be generated from whole blood at various times after irradiation, validated by qRT-PCR, and analyzed using different Bioinformatic tools and software.
• In addition to investigating therapeutic effects at the transcriptome level, other radiobiological aspects such as radiosensitivity, prediction of severity of acute radiation sickness, and gender dependencies of these endpoints will be investigated.
• You will be responsible for the Bioinformatic data analysis of the transcriptome measurements, comparison to qRT-PCR data, classification of the data using the current state of research knowledge, and expansion of the analysis methodology.
• Your responsibilities also include transcriptome data analyses and the support in other projects. These include, for example, “long-read” Nanopore sequencing or NGS longitudinal gene expression studies generated from the Ukrainian Chernobyl cohort.
• The position is available immediately.

What matters to us

• You have successfully completed a master’s degree or university diploma program in the field of bioinformatics or computer science or data science or something comparable.
• You have foreign language skills in English with a proficiency level of at least C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or equivalent.
• You are able to work both independently and in an international team.
• You have experience in building analysis pipelines (Snakemake, nextflow).
• You have extensive experience in software development using common scripting languages (R, Python, Bash).
• You are familiar and have at least 6 months to 1 year of experience with the analysis of NGS data and the development of Bioinformatic methods in this field of work.
• You are familiar with git, Linux and high-performance computing.
• You can demonstrate good mathematical skills.
• You agree to participate in a health suitability assessment and, if applicable, an enhanced security clearance under the Federal Security Clearance Act.
• Successful security clearance level Ü2 is mandatory to fill the advertised position (beyond the probationary period).

Optional

• You have knowledge or interest in molecular biological processes concerning RNA isolation, configuring and performing validation using low-density arrays for gene expression measurements, and data analysis of low-density arrays.

What matters to you

• You will be hired into a fixed-term employment contract, according to the so-called “Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz” (academic contract law).
• You can expect an attractive salary (E13, 80%), measured according to the collective agreement of the public service (TVöD).
• You will work for an acknowledged and family-friendly employer in secure economic circumstances.
• The Bundeswehr promotes the compatibility of family, health care, and career, for example, via remote work or part-time employment. The occupation can be part-time.
• You will work in a dedicated and experienced team with modern laboratory equipment.
• You can participate in the application-oriented research at the Fraunhofer Institute.

Remarks

• The position is offered for a two-year period, extendable for another 1-2 years and will end in December 2026-28.
• The PhD degree can qualify to shift into a permanent position at the Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology.
• The classification is made in accordance with §12 of the TVöD with regard to the actual activities to be performed on a more than temporary basis and fulfillment of the personal and collective agreement requirements.
• Our research project is meaningful, as you will be involved in developing modern diagnostic and therapeutic tools for managing life-threatening acute radiation injuries, making a relevant contribution in scientific, social, and political dimensions.
• The Bundeswehr promotes professional equality between women and men and, therefore, particularly welcomes applications from women.
• By the Social Code IX and the Disability Equality Act, we expressly welcome applications from severely disabled persons; individual consideration is given with regard to the fulfillment of the tender requirements.
• The Bundeswehr supports the goals of the National Integration Plan and welcomes applications from people with a migration background.

Application and Contact

If you are interested, please send an electronic application with all documents in a single PDF file to Prof. Dr. med. M. Sc. Michael Abend: email.