Project Description: One position is available to conduct cutting-edge research employing the tools of bioinformatics in a multidisciplinary team including microbiologists, molecular biologists and biosystems engineers. This is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to research whose aim is to develop a sustainable energy source from cellulosic wastes. This collaborative project seeks to characterize both known and newly discovered cellulose-degrading microbes and their genomes, leading to metabolic engineering, and to the development of designer microbial consortia,  to enhance synthesis of fuels and bioproducts. A range of organisms, approaches and biofuels will be investigated. A project summary can be viewed at http://www.microbialrefinery.com. This project is co-funded by Genome Canada and the Manitoba Ministry of Science, Technology Energy and Mines (STEM).

The successful applicant will join a team of bioinformaticians and information technologists who are mining and managing data from this project. This team carries out work in the following areas: analysis of data from transcriptomics and microarray experiments; de-novo annotation of newly-sequenced microbial genomes; development of high-throughput analytical pipelines; database design; software design; comparative genomics of cellulose degrading microorganisms; data mining and in-silico metabolic engineering. This project affords many opportunities for original contributions in both basic and applied research in bioinformatics, as they relate to the project.

Qualifications: Qualified applicants must: possess a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics or Biostatistics from a recognized University; have knowledge of statistics and biochemistry with strengths in data mining and programming; have extensive experience in object-oriented programming in Java or Python on a Unix platform; have a demonstrated record of independent as well as collaborative research and scholarly publications; and excellent oral and written communication skills. We will also consider computer scientists with a strong background in biology.

The University and Community: The University of Manitoba is located in Winnipeg, the largest city in the province of Manitoba. The city has a rich cultural environment including symphony, opera, dance, theatre, sports, and ethnic festivals. The region provides ample opportunities for outdoor recreation in all seasons. Learn more about Winnipeg at http://www.winnipeg.ca.