About us
PhD studentship: Computational & Systems Biology
Location
Teagasc, Grange, Co Meath
Description
A four-year PhD studentship in computational and systems biology is currently available in the Lynn group at the Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc (Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority), Grange, Co. Meath. This is a collaborative project with Prof. Walter Kolch, the director of Systems Biology Ireland in University College Dublin, where the successful applicant will be registered for their PhD.
There is currently a significant gap in the understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms which underpin susceptibility to infectious disease, which hinders the development of novel biomarkers, therapeutics and, in the case of livestock, breeding approaches. An important reason for this knowledge gap is the fact that infectious diseases are multifactorial, complex phenotypes. Network biology is a rapidly developing area in human disease research, reflecting the appreciation that complex phenotypes, such as disease susceptibility, are not the result of single gene mutations acting in isolation but rather are due to the perturbation of a gene's network context. Understanding these molecular networks and the nodes which are key to their topology, structure and signalling is seen as key to understanding complex phenotypes.
Working alongside a large European-wide FP7 funded project called PRIMES, the successful candidate will develop novel algorithms that computationally identify network nodes that control signal flow in dynamic protein-protein interaction networks. These algorithms will be optimised and validated on PRIMES networks, on which extensive data will be available (modelling, 3D structures, proteomics etc). These optimised algorithms will then be implemented to investigate networks implicated in the host response to bovine infectious diseases e.g. mastitis and bovine tuberculosis.
Qualifications
Applicants should have a 2.1 honours degree or higher in one of the following disciplines: Bioinformatics; Computational Biology; Computer Science; Physics; Mathematics; Genetics; Genomics. Applicants from other disciplines will also be considered if they can demonstrate some experience or aptitude in computational/systems biology.
Further Details
The successful applicant will be registered as a PhD student at University College Dublin (with Prof. Walter Kolch). The student will be primarily based in Dr. David Lynn's group at the Teagasc Animal & Bioscience Research Department, which is located in brand new facilities just outside Dublin in Co. Meath. The Teagasc Animal & Bioscience Research Department is a major new initiative to expand Teagasc's capacity for advanced research in animal bioscience.
This Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Award is €21,000/year for 4 years. UCD postgraduate fees must be paid from this with the balance available as a student stipend
Applications (CV, cover letter and contact details for two referees) in Word or PDF format should be emailed to Dr. David Lynn, Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc (Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority), Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland. david.lynn@teagasc.ie. This position will begin as soon as possible.
Closing Date
03 December 2012