Postdoctoral Fellow; Fungal and Algal Program

Postdoctoral Fellow (Fungal and Algal Program)

Berkeley Lab's (LBNL) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on multi-institutional collaborative projects within the Fungal and Algal Program.

In this exciting role, you will focus on the annotation and analysis of genomes from protists and other microbial eukaryotes. This work integrates multi-omics data and involves benchmarking and developing methods to improve genome annotation. The role centers on applying and extending computational approaches to study genomes and multi-omics datasets, with an emphasis on understanding biological processes relevant to bioenergy and biotechnology.

You will collect and curate data to optimize genome‑specific annotation pipelines, assess the quality of input data, and integrate datasets into the JGI platforms such as Myco Cosm and Phyco Cosm. You will configure, execute, and troubleshoot customized annotation workflows, and analyze predicted genes and annotations.

This position involves leveraging and advancing existing computational tools and algorithms, including emerging AI/ML based approaches, for genome annotation, comparative genomics, and multi-omics analyses, with particular attention to the challenges of complex eukaryotic systems. You will analyze large‑scale datasets to generate biological insights, develop benchmark frameworks, and communicate findings through publications and presentations.

The position has an anticipated start date of June1, 2026.

• Annotate and analyze genomes of protists and other microbial eukaryotes using JGI workflows and other tools.
• Customize, execute, and troubleshoot genome annotation tools.
• Evaluate input data quality and assess accuracy of gene predictions.
• Integrate genomics and multi‑omics datasets using bioinformatics and computational approaches.
• Analyze and interpret research datasets, drawing meaningful conclusions using appropriate statistical methods and scientific reasoning.
• Develop and optimize computational pipelines, scripts, and workflows using Python and MySQL databases in HPC environments for large‑scale data analysis.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to support data‑driven biological discovery.
• Publish scientific papers, release datasets to public repositories, and present findings at seminars and conferences.
• Modify gene prediction and filtering algorithms to accommodate changes in assembly quality, multi‑omics data, and organism‑specific needs.
• Conduct comparative and functional analyses to model biological processes, gene networks, and metabolic pathways.
• Contribute to the preparation of grant proposals and supporting materials.

• A recent Ph.D. (within the last 1–2 years) in Life Sciences, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• A strong background in bioinformatics, genomics, molecular biology, and data analysis.
• Expertise in applying computational methods and tools to biological research problems.
• Experience with eukaryotic gene prediction and annotation, genome organization, comparative genomics, and multi‑omics analysis.
• Familiarity with major biological databases (e.g., Uni Prot, Inter Pro, NCBI), including the ability to interpret complex biological datasets using statistical and computational approaches.
• Proficiency in programming (e.g., Python), database management (e.g., MySQL), and high‑performance computing environments.
• Strong organizational skills, including experience maintaining detailed and accurate records of results and analyzed data.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including experience presenting at group meetings and conferences, and publishing research findings.
• Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills, including experience conducting independent, data‑driven research and collaborating with an interdisciplinary research team.

• Experience working with protists and other microbial eukaryotic genomes.
• Experience developing and benchmarking computational methods or models.
• Strong record of publication in peer‑reviewed journals.

• Exceptional health benefits.
• Generous paid time off, sick time off, and holidays.
• A culture where you’ll belong – we are invested in our teams.

The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values:
Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab’s mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.