Scientist (Infectious Diseases), A*IDL

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore is seeking a Scientist (Bioinformatician, Pathogen Annotation) to enhance its pathogen genomic surveillance platform. The role involves annotation of emerging pathogens, ensuring accurate gene annotation, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to improve tools and workflows.

Ideal candidates will possess a PhD in a relevant field and have expertise in pathogen genomics and genome annotation. Strong communication skills are essential, as well as proficiency in Unix/Linux and scripting.

Qualifications

• PhD in Bioinformatics or related field is essential.
• Familiarity with genome annotation and reference genomes.
• Experience with sequence formats like FASTA and GFF/GTF.

Responsibilities

• Maintain annotation and analysis tools for new pathogens.
• Define annotation rules and quality thresholds.
• Collaborate with engineers for feature enhancements.

Skills

Pathogen genomics

Genome annotation

Scripting (Python or R)

Unix/Linux proficiency

Attention to detail

Effective communication

Education

PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Microbiology, Virology, or related field

Tools

Git

Job description

Job Summary

The Scientist (Bioinformatician, Pathogen Annotation) strengthens the readiness of the pathogen genomic surveillance platform by providing deep expertise in pathogen biology across an expanding portfolio of priority pathogens. This includes rapid synthesis of literature and data to characterise new or emerging pathogens (Disease X), define genomic architecture, select appropriate references, and classify lineages or subtypes. The role ensures accurate gene and feature annotation to enable reliable downstream analyses and public health interpretation. The Scientist will guide adaptation of curation workflows, analytical tools, and dashboards, and design validation and benchmarking strategies to ensure robust performance across diverse pathogen genomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Adapt and maintain annotation and analysis tools for new pathogens, aligned with biological context and standards
• Translate pathogen biology into requirements for pipelines, dashboards, and visualisations
• Define annotation rules, quality thresholds, and exception handling with curators and bioinformaticians
• Benchmark tools and workflows against reference datasets and external resources
• Collaborate with engineers to drive feature enhancements and performance improvements
• Monitor outputs to detect anomalies and ensure data quality across pathogens
• Document configurations, validation results, and SOPs for reproducibility and auditability
• Support training and cross-functional coordination on pathogen onboarding and tool use
• Proactively assess gaps and prepare for emerging pathogens of interest

Job Requirements

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Microbiology, Virology, or related field
• Strong grounding in pathogen genomics and genome organisation
• Familiarity with genome annotation, reference genomes, and comparative genomics
• Experience with sequence formats (FASTA, GFF/GTF) and metadata standards
• Proficiency in Unix/Linux, Git, and scripting (Python or R)
• Experience designing and interpreting validation/benchmarking of bioinformatics tools
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams
• Effective communicator across technical and multidisciplinary teams
• Motivated to contribute to pathogen surveillance and public health impact

The above eligibility criteria are not exhaustive. A*STAR may include additional selection criteria based on its prevailing recruitment policies. These policies may be amended from time to time without notice. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.