The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany and is a leading applied research organization. Around 32 000 employees work with an annual research budget of 3.4 billion euros.
A new working group in the field of clinical microbiome research currently being established at the Fraunhofer-Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP in Frankfurt am Main. This group encompasses a research platform focused on the development of microbiota-based therapies. Within this group, the bioinformatic analysis of data sets and, in particular, the development of prediction models for complex microbial communities and their interactions will play a central role. Accordingly, we are looking for a bioinformatician as a postdoc to support our interdisciplinary team.
Bioinformatician / Postdoc - Microbiome Research Microbiome analysis and integration of -omics and clinical data
Fusion and integration of -omics data with clinical data
Complementary metagenomic analysis of existing samples from biobanks and collections
Execution of statistical and bioinformatic analyses of complex data sets in a medical context
Development of new bioinformatic tools and analysis strategies
Application of established bioinformatics tools and solutions, including those for predicting nutrient competition among microorganisms and other mechanisms of colonization resistance
Development of new analysis strategies, tools, and predictive models to support the group’s objectives
Validation and benchmarking of these tools and models using various data sets
Application of the developed solutions to identify potential Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs)
Support of the working group
Organization and management of data from microbiome studies, including quality assurance and data preparation
Documentation, visualization and publication of research findings in scientific journals as well as presentation in lectures and conferences
Assistance in securing third-party funding and preparation of grant proposals for clinical studies
A scientific degree in bioinformatics, biology, or a comparable field and a completed PhD or (at the time of application) submitted PhD, ideally with a strong focus on health sciences
Solid knowledge of programming languages such as Python, R and Bash; additional experience with high-performance computing (HPC) is an advantage
Experience in analyzing of sequence data (e.g., tools like QIIME2, MetaPhlAn, Kraken or HUMAnN) and proficiency with MS Office
Understanding of microbiological or molecular biological fundamentals
Interest in the human microbiome and clinical research
Advantageous: Experience in project and data management
Good command of German and English (spoken and written)
A high level of initiative and team spirit
Opportunity for scientific work in a highly innovative and patient-relevant topic
Integration into a competent, friendly, and committed team
A collegial work atmosphere and the freedom to implement your own ideas
Flexible working hours (flexitime model), remote work options, as well as various support measures to balance private life and career
Excellent professional and personal development, opportunities through a variety of internal training programs
30 days paid annual leave, plus Christmas and New Year's Eve as company holidays
Personal retirement benefits (VBL) and additional (social) benefits of public service, such as annual special payment
Capital-forming benefits
Subsidies for public transport (Deutschlandticket)
Corporate benefits: offers from well-known manufacturers and brands
Access to the extensive Fraunhofer network