Research Assistant

Human Technopole; Milano; In loco; EUR 29.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

A leading research institute in Milan is seeking a Research Assistant to study the interplay of 3D genome structure and chromatin dynamics. Candidates should have a relevant degree and experience analyzing biological data. This role offers mentorship and the opportunity to work with advanced computational tools in a collaborative environment. The position includes a fixed-term contract with a salary of €29k.

Servizi

Welfare plans

Meal delivery service

Work-life balance provisions

Italian language training

Parental leave support

Flexible working hours

Relocation support

Tax benefits for relocating researchers

Competenze

• Documented internship experience in biological data analysis and visualization.
• Ability to work as part of a team and open to feedback.

Mansioni

• Analyze sequencing datasets generated in the lab.
• Support a PhD student/postdoc with computational tasks.
• Download and curate public datasets.

Conoscenze

Programming (Bash, Python, MATLAB, R)

Data analysis and visualization

Strong interest in 3D genome biology

Fluency in English

Formazione

Ba or M.Sc. degree in relevant fields

Strumenti

NGS assays (Hi-C, RNA-seq, etc.)

Descrizione del lavoro

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: August 12th, 2025

The Human Technopole Foundation (HT) is an interdisciplinary research institute, created and supported by the Italian government, whose aim is to develop innovative strategies to promote human health and healthy aging through a multidisciplinary and integrated approach, combining genomics, computational biology, structural biology, neuroscience and health data science. HT scientists work together to enable interdisciplinary research and to create an open, collaborative environment to help promote life science research nationally and internationally. In line with its mission to serve the research community at large, HT operates National Facilities, specifically aimed at making HT’s technologies, methods and tools available to the national scientific community.

About the lab:

The Bienko Group at HT (https://humantechnopole.it/en/research-groups/bienko-group/) focuses on understanding the fundamental principles that regulate how chromatin is spatially organized in the nucleus of mammalian cells. The group also studies how the three-dimensional (3D) genome structure is affected by complex genomic rearrangements, such as those commonly encountered in human cancers.

The group is now inviting outstanding candidates with basic-level knowledge of commonly used programming and data handling/visualization software and a strong interest in 3D genome biology and cancer genomics, to apply for a position as a Research Assistant

Key tasks and responsibilities:

The successful candidate will work in an international and interdisciplinary team, applying state-of-the-art computational tools and supporting the work of a doctoral student/post-doctoral researcher computationally (Computational Research Assistant), to investigate the interplay between spatial arrangement of chromatin, 3D genome structure and gene expression.

To this end, the successful candidate will analyse a large amount of sequencing datasets that are being generated in the Bienko Lab by applying a variety of omics assays 1) either to map the 3D genome, epigenome, and transcriptome of cells engineered in vitro to harbour chromosomal translocations and other genomic rearrangements, as well as of patient-derived tumor specimens, or 2) to study spatial localization patterns of various transcription factors during cell fate specification.

NGS assays routinely deployed in the Bienko Lab include: (i) whole-genome sequencing (WGS, both short- and long-read); (ii) Hi-C (both bulk and single-cell); (iii) GPSeq, a method previously developed in the Bienko to probe the radial arrangement of chromatin in the cell nucleus (see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-0519-y); (iv) full-length RNA-seq; (v) CUT&RUN; (vi) BLISS, another method previously developed in the Bienko Lab, which maps DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) genome wide (see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-020-0397-2).

Specific tasks include :

• Learning a specific computational routine (e.g., a bioinformatic pipeline) and applying it to data generated by the student/postdoc or by other researchers in the group or obtained from publically available data archives.
• Benchmarking a new computational tool developed by the student/postdoc or developed in the host group against pre-existing tools (open-source and/or commercial) designed to perform the same or similar task(s).
• Downloading and curating public datasets to be used by the supervising PhD student/postdoc in their analyses.
• Performing literature search on specific topics identified by the supervising PhD student/postdoc and summarizing it in written and/or oral form.
• Drawing schemes and/or preparing display items (e.g., plots, tables) to be included in figures part of research manuscript(s) co-authored by the supervising PhD student/postdoc.

See previous work on the research topics of this call:

Here’s a list of sequencing methods that we have developed over the years:

scCircle-seq: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2617401/v1

scCUTseq: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.07.566123

GPSeq: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-0519-y

BLISS: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-020-0397-2

CUTseq: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12570-2

Job requirements

Essential requirements:

On the closing date for online applications, the candidate must fulfil all the following conditions:

• Ba or M.Sc. degree in Quantitative Biology, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Genomic Sciences, Bioinformatics, or equivalent. Candidates with M.Sc. degree in Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics and a genuine interest in learning biology and working on challenging biological problems are welcome to apply.
• At least one internship (documented hands-on experience) involving analysis and visualization of biological data generated in the host lab and/or obtained from collaborating groups or from publically available data archives.
• Basic Knowledge of a number of programming languages, such as Bash, Python, MATLAB, R or alike.
• Fluency in oral and written English.

Preferential requirements:

• Candidates who have previously supported the analysis of data produced with one or more of the following methods will be given high priority: Hi-C (and derivatives); ChIP-seq; CUT&RUN/CUT&Tag; ATAC-seq; (sc)RNA-seq; WGS/WES.
• Candidates who have previously applied machine learning tools to the analysis of genomics data.

Organisational and social skills:

• Ability to work effectively as part of a research team, under the guidance of both a direct supervisor (PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher) and the Research Group Leader.
• Willingness to contribute to project-related tasks in exchange for mentorship and skill development in laboratory techniques or computational analysis.
• Openness to constructive feedback and a proactive attitude toward integrating others’ suggestions into one's work.
• Readiness to present research findings in front of large audiences.

Application Instructions

To apply, please attached a single document cotaining:

• An updated CV.
• A 1-page motivation letter in English relating your track record to the specifics of the call.
• Names and contacts of 2 referees.

WHY HUMAN TECHNOPOLE?

Our working environment is international, friendly and inclusive. Our scientists work together across disciplines on research topics of biomedical relevance, leveraging synergies between their diverse skill sets and methodological approaches.

We believe that highly diverse teams yield the best and most innovative results.

Main benefits

• Welfare plans.
• Meal delivery service..
• Work-life balance provisions.
• Italian language training for foreigners.
• Parental leave (up to 1 year) and additional support for new parents.
• Flexible working hours and remote working policy.
• Relocation support.
• Tax benefits for researchers relocating to Italy.

Special consideration will be given to candidates who are part of the protected categories list, according to L. 68/99.

Number of positions offered: 2

Contract offered: CCNL Collective Agreement Chimico Farmaceutico, employee level, fixed-term 1 year contract with the possibility of a 1-year extension

Salary: €29k.

The position is based in Milan.

Funded by the European Union (ERC, RADIALIS, GA n. 101088408)

“The Foundation reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to extend, suspend, modify, revoke, or cancel this job posting without giving rise to any rights or claims whatsoever in favour of the candidates; the Foundation reserves, however, the right not to proceed with the awarding of the above-described assignment due to the effect of supervening regulatory provisions and/or obstructive circumstances”.