Computation and Data Specialist, ExFAB BioFoundry NanoSystems Institute

The NSF ExFAB Biofoundry ("ExFAB") is user facility dedicated to developing and applying novel automated workflows to learn, prototype, and translate biology from unusual microbes into new biotechnologies. ExFAB's focus is on the microbes that do not conform to standard growth habits and culture conditions or defy our current understanding of biology yet possess traits (e.g. pathways, proteins and structures) that biotechnology should harness.

The ExFAB facilities span three campuses: UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and Cal Poly Pomona. The UCSB facility features a first-of-its-kind anaerobic chamber.

The primary focus of the ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist is to provide data analysis, data infrastructure, development of AI-based model training and AI-readiness of datasets. The position supports the DTBL (Design-Test-Build-Learn) Cycle, including management of the massive datasets generated by the ExFAB user facility, enabling efficient data exploration and interpretation by users and by AI agents, and providing project tracking.

• Pipeline Development. The ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist provides support to develop workflows across the biofoundry for data acquisition and analysis for AI-readiness, processing and analysis across data modalities including but not limited to imaging, flow cytometry, metabolomics, and associated metadata. This includes building flexible analysis pipelines, creating machine learning models to maximize the utility of generated data, helping push data exploration and managing data storage systems.
• Data Analysis Support. The ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist works closely with domain scientists across the biofoundry to develop customized analysis approaches tailored to non-standard biology, including customized advanced imaging processing (filtering, thresholding, segmentation. Object detection, and tracking for time-series or live imaging, handling high-dimensional datasets flow cytometry) and integration across modalities. Also supports the develop of quantitative data analysis workflows and statistically robust outputs.
• Data Infrastructure and Support. The ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist establish systems for data organization, storage, and linkage across experiments and modalities across the biofoundry. Provides dedicated management for the UCSB ExFAB team's LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) engagement, including training, troubleshooting, and collaboration with the UCR LIMS team.

Master’s Degree in biological science or engineering, including Computer Science, with an emphasis on data and computation or at least 5 years of experience demonstrating expertise in creating and/or administering scientific data organization and/or data mining structures, at the time of application.