European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) 
Hinxton, United Kingdom Resumo da oferta
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in the United Kingdom is offering a 3‑year fixed‑term Postdoctoral Fellow position in the Finn Research Group at Hinxton. The role focuses on metagenomic protein family classification and AI‑based structure prediction, collaborating with Christine Orengo’s team at UCL. Responsibilities include developing scalable classification pipelines, updating MGnify databases, and investigating novel protein families and bacteriophage anti‑defence systems. Candidates should hold a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related field, have strong Python and HPC skills, and be fluent in English. The stipend is £3,535 per month (after tax) for year one, with comprehensive benefits and career support.
Gerado a partir do conteúdo guardado da oferta. Confirme sempre os detalhes no anúncio oficial.
Descrição do projeto
Are you interested in studying metagenomic derived protein families and developing methods to interrogate vast collections of proteins, to determine pockets of interesting novel families? Metagenomics is transforming our understanding of the microbial world by uncovering enormous numbers of novel proteins. MGnify, one of the largest metagenomics resources, contains ~6 billion unique protein sequences. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) methods like AlphaFold and ESMfold can accurately predict protein structures directly from sequence. The AlphaFold database (AFDB) contains models for >200 million UniProt proteins, while the ESM Atlas comprises >600 million models for MGnify proteins, with many more expected soon. A new joint initiative with Christine Orengo’s team based at University College London, we will co-develop scalable strategies for classifying the MGnify protein databases into protein families based on structure and investigate the distribution of novel protein families across taxa and environments.
Your group
The Finn Research Group currently comprises two PhD students and two post doctoral fellows. This team is closely aligned with the Microbiome Informatics team responsible for producing MGnify, the AMR portal and the microbial data in Ensembl. The Finn Research covers a range of different research themes, from computational tool development to deep dives into data driven research topics such as exploring the human skin and gut microbiomes. The tool development takes on a number of different forms, from algorithmic development to the application of emerging AI technologies. These tools are typically designed to work at scale, with a view that many of these will be utilised in the data resources produced by the Microbiome Informatics team.
Your supervisor
You will report directly to Research Group lead, Rob Finn.
Your role
You will co-develop strategies that can deal with the classification of the vast protein database provided by MGnify into protein families based on structure. This will include clustering, functional labelling and developing selection criteria for producing structures. You will help update the current MGnify database with taxonomic information, based on a range of sources from within MGnify. You will also expand the biome information, based on an emerging tool produced within the wider team. Using these pieces of information, you will conduct an investigation looking for correlations between biome and taxonomy and protein family distributions, relating this to functions. Expanding on prior research, you will undertake a specific task aimed at trying to identify bacteriophage encoded bacterial anti-defence systems and use the functional and structural classification to propose potential mode of actions. The research will undertake both methodological approaches (including the adopting of AI-based approaches) as well as data analysis at scale.
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Contract length: 3 year fixed-term contract
Salary:Year 1 Stipend at rate of £3,535 per month after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions.
Professional development support
The EMBL Fellows’ Career Service provides support and guidance to predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows across all six EMBL’s sites.
Working with a dedicated Careers Advisor, this invaluable service will help you to take informed decisions about your career planning both in the short and longer term. Whether your main interest is pursuing a career path in academia, exploring opportunities in industry or exploring an independent venture, the EMBL Fellows’ Career Service with provide you with a portfolio of activities and resources to help you.
To find out more please visit - EMBL-fellows-career-service
Why join us
Join a culture of innovation
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential.
Enjoy lots of employee benefits:
What else you need to know
Closing Date
27/09/2026
