Summary
The Comparative Genomics & Metagenomics Lab (CGMLab) at the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP) is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the EU-funded ORIGIN project (Optimised Routing and Industrial Generation of Ingredients from Nature). The project aims to develop an AI-driven, digitally integrated bioproduction platform to sustainably produce high-value bio-identical botanical ingredients for nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries via precision fermentation. The group leads Work Package 1 (WP1), focused on AI-assisted digital bioprospecting and Biosynthetic Gene Cluster (BGC) mining from the uncultured microbial biosphere.
Postdoc Position: Metagenomic Mining & Bioprospecting of Novel Enzymes
Position Overview
| Parameter | Details |
| Designation | Postdoctoral Researcher |
| Institution | Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP UPM-INIA/CSIC) / CGMLab |
| Project | EU-funded ORIGIN Project (Grant ID: 101289831) |
| Research Area | Metagenomics, Computational Biology, Bioprospecting & Structural Bioinformatics |
| Location | Madrid, Spain (On-site with partial remote flexibility) |
| Duration | 3.5 to 4 years (depending on start date) |
| Salary / Remuneration | Approximately €41,000 gross per year |
| Application Deadline | September 1, 2026 (or until filled) |
Research Area
- Metagenomic Data Mining & Functional Annotation
- AI-Assisted Bioprospecting & Protein Language Models
- Biosynthetic Gene Cluster (BGC) & Pathway Reconstruction
- Comparative & Microbial Genomics
Location
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP UPM-INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
- Work mode: On-site presence required, with options for partial remote work when tasks allow.
Eligibility & Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, or a related quantitative life sciences discipline.
- Proven experience in mining and functional annotation of metagenomic data.
- Fluency working in High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Linux environments.
- Strong proficiency with genomic data analysis and bioinformatics pipelines.
Valued / Desirable Skills
- Basic knowledge of and keen interest in biochemistry, structural biology, and comparative genomics.
- Familiarity with microbial ecology and genomics.
- Experience with structural modeling tools (e.g., AlphaFold, ESM, ProstT5) and synteny/BGC tools (e.g., antiSMASH, eggNOG-mapper).
Job Description & Key Responsibilities
- Metagenomic Mining: Identify and discover novel enzymatic functions and pathways tailored to producing industrially relevant biocompounds (e.g., botanicals).
- Large-Scale Data Mining: Perform sequence-based homology searches (using DIAMOND, MMseqs, HMM profiles) across massive metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) repositories (e.g., SPIRE, >1M uncultured species).
- Structural Bioprospecting: Employ protein language models (ProstT5, ESM) and AlphaFold to detect distant structural and functional homologs that traditional sequence searches miss.
- Pathway & BGC Reconstruction: Carry out high-resolution functional annotation (eggNOG-mapper) and context-aware genomic analysis (synteny analysis, antiSMASH) to recover operons and complete metabolic pathways.
- Project Dissemination & Leadership: Attend European project consortium meetings, write project reports and peer-reviewed scientific articles, and assist in supervising junior team members.
How to Apply
Candidates must apply online through the official portal:
- Application Link: CGMLab Job Application Portal
Required Application Materials:
- Complete Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Short Letter of Interest / Cover Letter.
- Contact details for up to three professional references.
- Relevant links (e.g., GitHub, Google Scholar, personal website).
- Responses to the application questionnaire on the portal.
Last Date for Apply
- September 1, 2026 (Applications reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled)
