Postdoc in Bioinformatics

wanted for the next possible date at the KlausTschira Institute for Integrative Computational Cardiology to join our interdisciplinary project at the forefront of RNA biology and sequencing technology.

 

Project Overview

The landscape of mRNA 5′ cap modifications is more diverse and dynamic than previously appreciated. This project aims to develop and apply a novel chemo-enzymatic method to label and extend the 5′ cap, enabling its detailed analysis through Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT).

Your role will be central in creating and applying bioinformatics and machine learning tools to analyze long-read data and decipher cap-specific signals from raw sequencing output. This project brings together chemical biology, molecular biology, and computational science to achieve direct, single-molecule resolution of RNA cap structures.

  • Job-ID: V000014053
  • Field of application: Klinik für Kardiologie, Angiologie und Pneumologie
  • Location: Heidelberg
  • Job Category: Science and teaching
  • Working hours: full-time
  • Published: 09.04.2025
  • Limitation:Temporary (2 Jahre, mit Möglichkeit zur Verlängerung)
  • Contract:TV-L

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement computational pipelines for processing and analyzing ONT RNA/cDNA sequencing data.
  • Apply machine learning and signal processing approaches to classify cap types from raw signal traces.
  • Collaborate closely with experimental researchers to guide experimental design and interpret data.
  • Contribute to publications, presentations, and open-source tools related to the project.

Your Profile

Required Qualifications

  • PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Physics, or a related field.
  • Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, R, C/C++) and experience with high-throughput sequencing data.
  • Solid understanding of RNA biology, transcriptomics, and epitranscriptomics.

 

Desirable Skills

  • Experience with Nanopore sequencing (RNA, cDNA, or DNA).
  • Familiarity with machine learning, particularly in biological data contexts.
  • Skills in signal processing, particularly time-series or nanopore signal data.
  • Experience working in interdisciplinary teams.

What we offer

  • A collaborative and supportive research environment within a leading academic institution.
  • Access to state-of-the-art sequencing platforms and high-performance computing infrastructure.
  • Opportunities to publish in high-impact journals and present at international conferences.
  • Career development support and mentoring.
  • Collectively agreed remuneration, attractive company pension scheme (VBL)
  • 30 days vacation
  • Sustainable travel: job ticket
  • Family-friendly working environment: cooperative arrangements for childcare, subsidy for child vacation care, advice for employees with relatives in need of care
  • Wide range of health, prevention and sports offers

Contact & Application

To Apply
Please send a CV, cover letter, links to code repositories and contact information for 2–3 references to sekretariat.dieterich@med.uni-heidelberg.de. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.


Klinik für Kardiologie, Angiologie und Pneumologie
Sekretariat Prof. Christoph Dieterich
Im Neuenheimer Feld 669
69120 Heidelberg

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