Bioinformatician (Molecular Ecology)

This is an exciting opportunity for a bioinformatician with experience in molecular ecology to join the research group of Dr Laura M. Suz, Dr Jill Kowal and Prof. Martin Bidartondo until March 2025 in Ecosystem Stewardship at RBG Kew.

The project involves the England Ecosystem Survey and Forest Research's Natural Forest Inventory Plus within the Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment programme. We are generating data on mycorrhizal distributions across different UK habitats to understand and link below and aboveground ecosystem functioning in different land uses and soil vegetation types to inform environmental management and policy. This provides a first opportunity to study the role of mycorrhizas in carbon and nutrient stocks and cycling, thus contributing a key but so far neglected variable for environmental assessment and monitoring.

The post holder will play a critical role in the analysis and management of project DNA sequencing data, and will develop the pipelines required to enable the successful identification of fungi and plants from roots and soils. They will be an active member of a high-profile, multi-disciplinary team led by the project's Principal Investigator, who will also act as line manager.

Relevant degree and data analysis experience, ideally in the context of molecular ecology data of plants and/or fungi.

- Bioinformatics expertise with sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline (e.g. bioinformatics, phylogenetics, genomics, systematics, molecular ecology) to develop pipelines and methodologies.

- Experience contributing to projects and delivering successful outcomes, ideally in the discipline (e.g. bioinformatics, phylogenetics, phylogenomics, genomics, systematics, molecular biology).

- Familiarity with the existing literature and research in the field or the ability to become familiar with the field.

- Experience of working collaboratively within a large project across multiple institutions

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract
Contract length: 10 months

Pay: £36,338.00-£39,043.00 per year,

• Casual dress


• Discounted or free food


• Employee discount


• Health & wellbeing programme


• Store discount