Scientific Database Curator

embl; Hinxton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

UniProt at EMBL-EBI seeks a Scientific Database Curator with a strong structural biology background to integrate and curate protein structure information within UniProt. You will work at the intersection of structural biology, biocuration, and bioinformatics, connecting experimental and predicted structures with UniProt annotations.

You will collaborate with UniProt, PDBe, and other partners to support workflows, contribute to training, and participate in EMBL-EBI-wide initiatives.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in structural biology or related life science discipline.
• Strong understanding of structural biology and ability to interpret complex scientific literature.
• Ability to work with structured data and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain pipelines between UniProt and key structural biology resources (PDB, AlphaFold DB, 3D-Beacons).
• Coordinate data exchange to integrate protein structure information into UniProt releases.
• Curate UniProt entries with structural data, focusing on newly available important structures.
• Collaborate with UniProt curation and development teams, PDBe and other partners.
• Contribute to UniProt training and communication activities.

Skills

Strong English communication

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Education

PhD in Structural Biology

MSc in structural biology or related life science

Tools

Python

R

Job description

Your role

Join the UniProt at EMBL-EBI as a Scientific Database Curator in the Protein Function Content Team EMBL-EBI and help maintain one of the world's leading protein knowledge resources used by researchers worldwide.

UniProt provides expertly curated protein sequence and functional information, including structural data from key resources such as the PDB, AlphaFold DB, and the 3D-Beacons Network. These data support biological discovery, structural biology, drug discovery, functional annotation, and biomedical research by making high-quality protein knowledge accessible through expert curation, integrated data resources, and programmatic services.

We are seeking a Scientific Database Curator with a strong background in structural biology to contribute to the integration, curation, and maintenance of protein structure information in UniProt.

In this role, you will work at the interface of structural biology, biocuration, and bioinformatics, helping to connect experimentally determined and predicted protein structures with high-quality UniProt protein annotations. You will collaborate closely with expert biocurators and developers in UniProt, PDBe, and other structural biology partners to support robust workflows and the timely incorporation of structural data into UniProt releases. You will also contribute to UniProt training and communication activities.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Involvement in the development and maintenance of pipelines between UniProt and key structural biology resources, including the PDB, AlphaFold DB, and the 3D-Beacons Network
• Taking the lead to ensure the integration of protein structure information into UniProt by coordinating data/information exchange with key collaborators according to the UniProt release cycle
• Curation of UniProt protein entries with structural data, with a particular focus on newly available and biologically important structures
• Effective collaboration within the UniProt curation and development teams at EMBL-EBI, with the wider UniProt Consortium, and with PDBe and other structural biology partners
• Participation in UniProt training and communication activities, including activities that promote the use and understanding of UniProt structural data
• Participation in EMBL-EBI-wide training and activities (e.g. AI-assisted biocuration forum)

You will have

• A PhD or MSc in structural biology, or a related life science discipline
• Strong understanding of structural biology and the ability to interpret complex scientific literature
• Ability to work with structured data and attention to detail
• Strong organisational and analytical skills
• Strong interest in intelligent use of AI
• Familiarity with biological databases or/and bioinformatics resources, and bioinformatic analyses
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an international team
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and English language skills

You may also have

• Experience with biocuration and/or annotation of biological databases
• Experience with ontologies and controlled vocabularies (e.g. Gene Ontology)
• Experience using bioinformatics tools or scripting languages (e.g. Python or R)
• Experience in text mining, natural language processing, or AI-assisted literature analysis
• Experience collaborating in international scientific projects or consortia

Contract and Salary

Contract length: Project-based, 3 year fixed-term Staff Member contract, with possibility for extension subject to the availability of grant-funding.

Salary: Grade 4 or Grade 5, depending on qualification level - Monthly salary starting at £3,202.52 per month (grade 4) or £3,452.05 (grade 5) after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus, generous benefits.

Why join us

Do something meaningful

At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind's greatest challenges. EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.

Join a culture of innovation

We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed