Postdoctoral Fellow, Cassava DNA Fingerprinting for Genetic Resources Management at IITA - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Ref: DDG-R4D/PDF/GRM/11/15
Location: Ibadan
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)

Position/Responsibilities

• The successful applicant will use the existing GBS data to develop an informative panel of allele specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and be responsible for the applicability/suitability of the SNPs panel for cassava identity validation.
• He or she will also be involved in all aspects of DNA fingerprinting of cassava accessions using this panel.

Terms of Reference

• Conversion of SNP markers from GBS to a panel of informative allele-specific assays (LGC genomics or Illumina SNP chip) for fingerprinting and validation of the identity of accessions within cassava germplasm collection maintained by the GRC.
• DNA fingerprinting of cassava accessions of GRC and use in identity confirmation and studies of genetic relatedness.
• Liaison with external service providers for SNP assays and their interpretation.
• Liaison with GRC Database Manager on storage of fingerprint information linked to accession level information.
• Capacity building of GRC staff and students.
• Contributions to reports and publications.

Qualification, Experience and Skills

• The candidate should have a PhD in Plant Genetics, Bioinformatics or related discipline. Experience in DNA markers and their application to crop improvement would be an advantage

Core Competencies

• Sound understanding of population genetics and diversity analyses.
• Experience with the analysis of next generation sequencing data.
• Good knowledge of sample tracking systems such Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMs).
• Familiarity with plant genetic resources, diversity analysis and genebanks would be an advantage.
• Basic knowledge in Linux, R and related packages, scripting knowledge would be an advantage.

Remuneration
We offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.