Postdoctoral researcher Bioinformatics of microbiome-virus-host interactions in insects

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are highly effective pollinators of flowering plants, including many food crops. However, managed honeybee colonies suffer from various health issues including pathogen infection leading to weakened immune responses, making colonies more susceptible to other stressors such as pesticides and poor nutrition. The honeybee gut microbiota is believed to play a crucial role in achieving and maintaining health by aiding in digestion, nutrient absorption and training of the immune system. Moreover, the microbiota is also believed to be important for resilience against viral and parasitic infections. This process and especially the role of specific bacteria and their viruses (bacteriophages) is poorly understood. Wil you help us with new research?

In an international project, involving scientists from Germany, Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands, we aim to understand the interplay between bacteria, bacteriophages and viral pathogens in honeybees. The project involves a tight collaboration of consortium members to perform experimental work and bioinformatic analyses on honeybee resilience to infection.

For this project, we are looking for an enthusiastic postdoc to perform bioinformatic analyses of the (development of the) immune response of bees carrying different combinations of bacteria and phages, using mRNA, small RNA and single-cell RNA sequencing. In addition, you may also contribute to ongoing bioinformatic projects in the lab.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Conducting research on microbiome-virus-host interactions in insects using bioinformatic approaches.
• Collaborating with consortium members on the design and execution of experiments.
• Presenting results at consortium meetings and (inter)national conferences.
• Drafting manuscripts for publication of research results in peer-reviewed journals.
• Supervising students during research internships.

Our new colleague is a creative, enthusiastic, and independent researcher/bioinformatician with a PhD degree in a relevant research field. Experimental biologists with significant bioinformatic experience wishing to transition to a more computational project are encouraged to apply.

Your profile:

• A PhD degree in a relevant research field.
• Experience with analyses of next-generation sequence data.
• Extensive experience in R and Shell scripting and data management.
• Experience with single cell data analysis is a plus.
• Self-motivated and collaborative mindset.
• Good track record of scientific publications.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Good command of spoken and written English.

At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• A gross monthly salary between € 3.598 and € 5.669 (scale 10) for full-time employment (36 hours per week). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and, depending on the position, an allowance of 47% to 72% for working irregular hours.
• 176 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week.

You will work in the Laboratory of Experimental Virology in the department of Medical Microbiology of Radboud University Medical Center under supervision of Prof. Ronald van Rij. We are dedicated to provide a social, dynamic, and stimulating work environment.

The laboratory is affiliated with the Research Institute for Medical Innovation, which provides an excellent environment for innovative science and offers access to state-of-the-art core facilities, including cellular imaging, proteomics, and genomics. The project is part of the microBEEome project funded by the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare, which involves tight collaborations with scientists at the universities of Leuven and Ghent (Belgium), University of Minho (Portugal), and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing/Free University Berlin (Germany).

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where our research groups strive for innovative solutions that make impact on health and healthcare. We challenge the status quo to overcome current and future health challenges. Our goal is to shape the future of healthcare for generations to come. Our focus is on prevention, sustainability, and meaningful care, which we achieve through our in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms, clinical science, public health research, medical technology and data science. Our approach is centered on breakthroughs that can truly enhance personalized healthcare and public health.

At Radboudumc, a comprehensive range of research programs provide the compass for our research efforts. Each program has a clear goal, where collaboration within and outside our organization is highly valued. We integrate care, education and research in partnership with our patients to ensure that our research programs have significant impact on health and healthcare. We invite you to join us in our mission to create a healthy future for all.

Any questions? Or wondering what it is like to work at Radboudumc? Then email to prof. Ronald van Rij, professor of Virology. Use the Apply button to submit your application.