Duration:
Temporary externally funded non Grant-in-Aid contract post, the indicative duration of which is 36 months, subject to contract. A panel may be formed from which future similar vacancies may be filled; such a panel will remain active for a maximum period of 12 months.
Basic Function
Teagasc seeks to recruit a Research Officer to a European funded position. The successful candidate will have experience in working with fermented foods/valorised food waste, conducting colon model experiments, performing bioassays to test gut microbiome modulating potential of these fermented foods/valorised foods, and ideally, the analysis of 16S amplicon sequencing data, including generating taxonomic, functional and diversity related outputs using assembly-based and assembly-free approaches.
Background
The EU Just Transition Fund has funded the project entitled ”TRANSFORM.’’ The TRANSFORM project involves several Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) and industry partners across Ireland. The Teagasc component of the project for this particular position is led by Dr Harsh Mathur and is focused on the screening of novel fermented foods/valorised food waste streams and downstream testing of their effects on the faecal microbiota of the healthy population through a series of ex vivo human distal colon model bioassays analysis of microbiome data, generated through 16S amplicon sequencing.The substrates which will be tested will be generated and provided by the aforementioned RPOs and industry partners and will involve techniques such as solid-state fermentation. The project will also involve evaluating the most promising of these valorised foods in human trials towards the latter stages of the project. The successful candidate will be involved in analysing the bioinformatics data from the human trial with a view to evaluating the effects of the novel fermented foods/valorised foods on the human gut microbiome. Teagasc are recruiting a microbiologist/molecular biologist to lead this component of the project and to collaborate with several researchers in TRANSFORM who will be based in the aforementioned RPOs with the ultimate objective of generating novel valorised foods with gut health properties through a fermentation approach
- An honours Level 8 degree, (as recognised on the National Framework of Qualifications or equivalent), in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology or related field.
- A postgraduate degree and/or research experience in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry would be a distinct advantage.
- Demonstrated research and technical expertise in working with fermented foods/valorised food, performing colon model experiments or analysing 16S amplicon sequencing data.
- Evidence of research activity (publications, conference presentations, awards) and future scholarly output (working papers, research proposals etc.)
- Excellent project management, analytical, report writing and data analysis skills.
- Experience in setting own research agenda.
- Evidence of teamwork and collaboration with relevant partners.
- An ability to collaborate with team members and PhD students to help build research knowledge and skills and to guide professional development.
- Commitment to teamwork and collaborating with colleagues as per our Teagasc Together ethos.
- Excellent communication skills (oral, written, presentation) with an ability to enable effective knowledge and technology transfer.
As this role will involved driving vehicles, candidates must satisfy and continue to satisfy during employment with Teagasc, legal requirements to drive a car unaccompanied on Irish public roads.
Eligibility
This is an open public competition. Should a current serving Teagasc staff member be successful in their application through open public competition for this post, their current contract of employment with Teagasc will come to an end on taking up this post.
Note: The ‘essential’ qualifications, knowledge, skills and behavioural competencies outlined above are ‘must-have’ which will be used in the selection process.
