JOB DESCRIPTION
This form summarises the purpose of the job and lists its key tasks.
It may be varied from time to time at the discretion of the College in consultation with the postholder.
Job Title: Post-doctoral Research Assistant in Genetics
Job ref no: CBS-0025-14
Grade: Grade 6
Department: CBS
Accountable to: Senior Lecturer in Comparative Biomedical
Sciences
Responsible for: N/A
Job summary:
The main purpose of this position is to deliver the outcomes set out by a BBSRC grant aimed at generating
comparative chromosome maps in a number of avian species. The job will also involve mostly bioinformatic
problem solving but also some lab work and largely based around comparative genomics of birds and other
vertebrates.
The candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the project as well as providing practical advice
and help for other lab members and other duties, commensurate with the grading of the post, which may be
assigned by Dr. Denis Larkin. He/she will also be required to liaise with a range of colleagues in the UK and
world-wide and to supervise PhD students on related projects.
Main responsibilities:
To deliver the following aims of the grant over a 3 year period:








To generate reference assisted assemblies of approximately 20 bird species and other vertebrates.
Perform comparison of the assemblies generated with other bird genomes.
To upload all completed sequence assemblies to a publically available comparative genome browser
(Evolution Highway).
To test a number of fundamental hypotheses pertaining to non-mammalian and mammalian genome
evolution organisation, including:
Patterns of HSB/msHSB lengths distribution in avian/amniote genomes show a non-random distribution not
explained by chance alone.
There are specific Gene Ontology (GO) signatures of both EBRs and HSBs and these are different to those of
mammals.
The mechanisms of chromosome rearrangements are related to Non Alellic Homologous Recombination (NAHR)
and Breakage Induced Recombination (BIR) and the density of transposable elements and segmental duplications.
There is an increased density of transposable elements and segmental duplications in bird EBRs.
Competency: Knowledge and Experience
Key tasks:
 To perform bioinformatics-based and lab experiments commensurate with the outcomes of the grant
proposal. It is expected that previous programming experience and knowledge of genome structures
will be used to develop scripts required to perform effective analysis of whole genome sequences of
birds and other vertebrates using high performance computing (HPC). It is not expected that the
successful applicant is familiar with all these subjects, but a good prior knowledge of programming in a
biological environment is essential.
Competency: Communication
Key tasks:
 Publish the research results in international high quality peer-reviewed journals. It is desirable that the
candidate has an established publication record and experience writing scientific papers.
 Present research results at local seminars and national or international conferences.

Participate and contribute to group scientific meetings and to the intellectual environment of the team
as a whole.

Collate and analyse research results, communicating them effectively, both verbally and in writing, to
members of the research group and collaborators.
 Explain and demonstrate research activities to non-specialists.
Competency: Research
Key tasks:
 Collect, analyse, and communicate research results.
 Analyze large genome datasets under Linux/Unix environment using custom scripts and existing
software.
 Develop new research resources and make them publically available (e.g., on the Evolution Highway
Chromosome Browser).
Competency: Teamwork and Motivation
Key tasks:
 To help supervise other lab members e.g. PhD students, technically and academically.

Work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
 Undertake enthusiastically high quality research and address new challenges in the field.
Competency: Service Delivery
Key tasks:
 Day-to-day running of research projects.
 Working with large computer clusters and HPC to analyze genome datasets.
 Following policies relating to Health and Safety, Good Research Practice and Ethics.
Competency: Planning & Organising
Key tasks:
 Follow standard procedures to gather, record and analyse data, maintaining standards of Health and
Safety, Good Research Practice.
Flexibility: To deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is needed, and the post holder may be required
to perform work not specifically referred to above.