Postdoctoral Research Associate Grade 7 - Functional and Comparative Genomics

The Betancourt laboratory seeks an individual with a background in bioinformatics and/or population genetics to lead a BBSRC funded project to quantify the fitness effects of transposable element insertions in Drosophila.

A central goal of evolutionary genetics has been to understand the causes of variation in fitness between individuals. But, while the effects of DNA point mutations on fitness have been extensively studied, another potentially major source of mutations-- selfish transposable elements (TEs)-- has been largely neglected. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the contribution of TEs may be substantial: in Drosophila, they are the cause of most spontaneous mutations with abnormal phenotypes. We will measure the selective effects of TEs using a combination of deep sequencing, population genetic inference, functional Drosophila genetics, and laboratory assays.

You will be part of a team including a full and part-time research technician, embedded in the research group of Andrea Betancourt in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour within the Institute of Integrative Biology. This research group has tackled a wide variety of questions in evolutionary genetics, addressing the role of recombination and sex-linkage in evolution, and the evolutionary pressure imposed by selfish elements in Drosophila.

The Institute for Integrative Biology boasts a state-of-the-art Drosophila laboratory, cutting-edge facilities in DNA sequencing, proteomics, and microscopy, and a thriving and productive research group working on evolutionary biology, ecology and behaviour.

You should have a PhD degree in a relevant discipline (Biology, Genomics, Population Genetics, Evolution) and experience analysing large data sets. The post is available from 1 January 2019 to 14 July 2020.