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PhD studentship in Computational Systems Biology: Statistics/Machine-Learning/Bioinformatics applied to Bacterial genomes (involving genome data analysis with opportunities for software and/or methodology development) A PhD studentship is available based at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) in Dundee, Scotland (UK). The student will work in a joint project between BioSS (Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland) and the SCRI scientists studying plant and animal disease caused by bacteria. The studentship is part of a large Systems Biology project funded by the Scottish Executive, and involving Statisticians, Machine-Learning specialists, Bioinformaticists, and Biologists involved in Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics, and Genetic Networks. The post will require computer programming and data analysis skills. Familiarity with scripting using Python or PERL would be helpful, plus knowledge of methods for looking for patterns in molecular sequence data (e.g. Hidden Markov models). The work will involve the analysis of completely-sequenced bacterial genomes using state-of-the-art sequence analysis methods and software. The development of improved software or improved methods may also form part of the project, depending on the interests of the student. In addition to the analysis of genomic sequences, there will also be prediction of interactions between DNA and proteins (i.e. known regulatory binding sites and regulatory proteins), and between protein sequences. The project is an excellent opportunity for a numerate graduate to enter the exciting multidisciplinary field of Bioinformatics, and in particular Systems Biology, where fundamental biological questions are being tackled using a range of approaches. This position would suit a numerate Biology graduate or statistics/machine-learning/computer science graduate. .... The PhD will be supervised by Leighton Pritchard (http://bioinf.scri.sari.ac.uk/lp/index.shtml) and Frank Wright (http://www.bioss.ac.uk/~frank). It is funded by the Scottish Executive. Tuition fees will be paid. EU citizens receive a stipend of 12000 pounds per year. Non-EU applications are welcomed, but the stipend will be lower due to increased cost of tuition fees. Please send a CV to Frank Wright ([log in to unmask]) with a list of two referees. Applications must be received by Monday 13th September. Interviews will be held before the end of September, so please apply before deadline. ........ Dr Frank Wright BioSS, SCRI, Dundee, Scotland, UK