Bioinformatician

Job Overview

The Metabolomics Shared Resource (MSR) at Georgetown University Medical Center needs a Bioinformatics Scientist to work in a highly collaborative environment on experimental design of metabolomics studies and concomitant data analysis. Specifically, the candidate will provide bioinformatics support for the analytical design for an array of metabolomics studies including molecular profiling, multiple reaction monitoring based targeted quantitation. The candidate will also assist in developing pipeline for metabolic model development, modelling, stoichiometric analysis of metabolic flux.

Successful candidate will design experiments in collaboration with wet-lab scientists and integrate experimental data including transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics (including stable isotope based in vitro and in vivo metabolomics) and mass spectrometry based profiling. Hence, this is a request for creating a new position to support big data analysis capabilities for multiple federally funded projects that are supported by the metabolomics shared resource.

As explained in the justification document, based on addition of new instruments including Bruker timsTOF, 7500 QTrap mass spectrometer, NMR and Seahorse XF96 cellular analyzer and the urgent and critical need to strengthen the informatics and data analysis capabilities of the core facility, we have expanded and added new set of duties to the revised job description. Taken together, these additions warrant a revision of an obsolete pay scale to make us minimally competitive for hiring qualified and competent candidates.

• Operate and assist with all mass spectrometry related operations including but not limited to sample preparation and data acquisition
• Process raw LC-MS and GC-MS data using a well-defined analytical platform and deliver this in a format ready for further statistical analysis either by the collaborator or by the Metabolomics Core as appropriate.
• Perform advanced bioinformatic and statistical analyses of metabolomics datasets based on clinet’s defined goals and presentation needs.
• Follow-up with core facility clients, including graphical presentation refinement, additional analyses, and input into future experiment design.
• Develop and maintain an integrated, user-friendly analytical pipeline based around instrument manufacturers’ software and/or from publicly available resources, and/or de novo, for processing raw data (peak alignment, background subtraction, feature extraction, selection of statistically significant features).
• Keep track of key developments in the areas pertinent to this work and implement relevant knowledge/technologies for the advancement of the platform.

The mission of MSR is to accelerate discovery by giving investigators access to cutting edge technologies in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. By using advanced mass spectrometry-based methodologies and well-established technologies, we are devoted to help researchers to answer questions in basic, translational and clinical biomedical research. The high speed, sensitivity, and accuracy of our instruments allow accurate qualitative and quantitative measurement of proteins/peptides.

The most common experiments include:
1) hypothesis-driven discovery metabolomic studies of biological systems for the identification of small molecule metabolites as well as their quantification by incorporating various strategies), and
2) targeted metabolomics by multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS);
3) Flux metabolomics for mechanistic understanding of metabolic alterations in health and disease. The core facility serves 45 investigators with a rich extramural funding portfolio (> $10 M). The metabolomics shared resource offers metabolomics services as a fee-for service arrangement which brings in a revenue of more than $1,000,000/year to GUMC. This position will be supported by the Metabolomics shared resource (75% effort) and Dr.

Cheema’s new IARPA award (25% effort).

• MS in bioinformatics or biostatistics or computational biology or similar ((PhD preferred).
• Experience in integrating…