The groups of Dr. Juan Garaycoechea and Dr. Puck Knipscheer have a vacancy for a Bioinformatician full time (38 hours/week) to work on Mechanisms of mutagenesis.

Description of the project: DNA carries the instructions of life, but is also under constant attack. The resulting damage, if not repaired, leads to mutation and disease. Common environmental mutagens include sunlight and cigarette smoke, but the integrity of DNA is also threatened by chemicals produced by our own body. Our labs seek to understand the 1) sources of DNA damage in a physiological setting and 2) molecular mechanisms of DNA repair, and how these prevent mutagenesis. In order to do this, the Garaycoechea lab uses genetics in a number of systems, including mice, to modulate metabolism and DNA repair and gain mechanistic insight into how these processes drive mutation. The candidate will set up pipelines to map, call variants and quantify mutation signatures in WGS data, and will develop novel tools to study mutation in single cells. The Knipscheer lab uses NGS to gain insight into the mutation frequency and patterns of specific repair routes recapitulated in vitro. The candidate will work closely with members of both groups and will benefit from the extensive Bioinformatician community at the Hubrecht Institute.

We seek a highly motivated Bioinformatician holding an BSc degree in bioinformatics, or an MSc or PhD degree in bioinformatics, molecular biology or cell biology. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in analysing WGS NGS data and developing pipelines for variant calling. We seek someone with an independent attitude to problem-solving who takes initiative and is enthusiastic to engage in interdisciplinary research. The working language in our international teams is English, the candidate should therefore have excellent English communication skills and be able to work as part of a team.

Duration: 1 year with the possibility of an extension after positive evaluation.

Salary: According to “CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten” (CAO-NU), depending on experience and level of education. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits.

Hubrecht Institute

The Hubrecht Institute is a research institute focusing on developmental and stem cell biology. It encompasses 24 research groups that perform fundamental and multidisciplinary research, both in healthy systems and disease models. The Hubrecht Institute is a research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)., located on the Utrecht Science Park ‘De Uithof’. Since 2008, the institute has been affiliated with the University Medical Center Utrecht, advancing the translation of research into clinical practice. The Hubrecht Institute has a partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).