Computational Biologist / Bioinformatician (Chemical Biology)

TL;DR

Computational Biologist / Bioinformatician (Chemical Biology): Identifying endogenous ligands of proteins of unknown function using AI-based methods and classical machine learning with an accent on protein-ligand interactions and binding site characterization. Focus on developing descriptors to assess druggability and analyzing large-scale structural datasets.

Location: Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK. Hybrid working patterns available. Relocation package provided.

Salary: from £3,303.40 to £3,695.61 per month (after tax).

Company

European Bioinformatics Institute (hirify.global-EBI), a world-leading bioinformatics center providing biological data and tools to the global scientific community.

What you will do

• Develop descriptors to characterize protein binding sites and assess their druggability.
• Identify endogenous ligands of proteins of unknown function using AI and machine learning.
• Collaborate with the PDBe team and researchers at University College London.
• Utilize cheminformatics and structural biology libraries to process large-scale biological and chemical datasets.
• Integrate structural data formats (mmCIF, PDB) into functional annotation pipelines.

Requirements

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Structural Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Deep understanding of protein-ligand interactions and expertise in protein structure analysis.
• Strong foundation in cheminformatics, including molecular representations, fingerprints, and clustering.
• Proficiency in Python (RDKit, Biopython, Open Babel) and relational databases (SQL).
• Experience with Linux and collaborative software development using git and GitHub/GitLab.
• Advanced English language skills.

Nice to have

• Experience with 3D molecular visualization tools such as PyMOL, ChimeraX, or VMD.
• Ability to automate structural descriptor generation via scripting within visualization software.
• Experience using Geometric Deep Learning, Graph Neural Networks, or LLMs for structural data processing.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive financial incentives: family, child, and non-resident allowances, plus annual salary reviews.
• Private medical insurance for the employee and their immediate family.
• Generous time off with 30 days of annual leave plus public holidays.
• Support for international candidates including visa exemptions and education grants.
• Campus amenities: free shuttle bus, on-site library, subsidized gym, cafeteria, and on-site nursery.

Hiring process

• Submission of a cover letter and CV through the online system.
• Expected response within two weeks after the closing date.