The Open Targets team at our 5 year anniversary celebration in June 2019
Join our team!
Open Targets is based on the stunning Wellcome Genome Campus, home to some of the world's foremost institutes and organisations in genomics and computational biology. We work in dynamic teams at the interface of academic and pharma industry science on a crucial problem, how to be more successful in making drugs. Working with us, you will be exposed to new technologies and a dynamic set of scientists dedicated to translational research.
Our posts are usually in either one of our academic partners, The Wellcome Sanger Institute or EMBL-EBI and have terms and conditions associated with the employer.
Important note: applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis and the advertised post(s) may be filled before the stated deadline.
Postdoctoral fellow
Application closing date: 30 April 2024
The Petsalaki group uses network analysis, data integration and machine learning to study human cell signalling. For this Open Targets project, the group is collaborating with the Garnett group (Sanger institute) to discover combination targets for two types of cancer with unmet need.
We have already finished collecting the largest dual CRISPR guide dataset to date comprising 65,000 gene pairs across two tissue types and approximately 50 cell lines, and are now looking to understand principles underpinning successful combination gene pairs in cancer and to discover actionable gene pairs that could have an impact in the clinic.
In this role, you will integrate this unique and exciting data with other omics datasets, performing systems level and network-based analyses to interpret and extract value from the data. You will also be developing an AI-based method (e.g. through graph neural networks) to leverage our unique dataset for the prediction of combination targets beyond the ones measured in our experiments.
Senior Research Assistant – Technical Specialist (Maternity Cover)
Application closing date: 2 May 2024
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated scientist with expertise in experimental oncology to provide experimental, scientific and operational support to the Open Targets Validation Lab at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. We work with world-leading experts from both academia and industry to run discovery projects for targets of new therapeutic potential, and the mission of the Open Targets Validation Lab is to provide additional experimental evidence to support the relevance of these targets in disease biology. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work on a project that comprises the largest, to date, dataset of dual CRISPR perturbations (65K pairs, 45 cell lines, 2 tissue types) and validate therapeutic hypotheses that exploit synthetic lethality in cancer.
Research software Engineer - Large Language Model focus
Application closing date: 20 May 2024
To benefit from the advances in LLM technology inside Open Targets, we are extending the capabilities of our platform towards LLM integration using open-source frameworks.
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Research Software Engineer with expertise in Python and Large Language Model (LLM) integration to join the AI knowledge management project for a period of 3 years. You will be a key player in designing and operating software that integrates cutting-edge knowledge graphs, LLMs and ML techniques into our biomedical data processing and drug discovery platforms.
This position would be embedded within the Saez-Rodriguez Group at the European Bioinformatics Institute and benefit from joint supervision with Sebastian Lobentanzer in at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD). You will work collaboratively across the project group with other experts in ML/AI, NLP, data integration and product delivery across ChEMBL, ePMC, Open Targets and Heidelberg University Hospital on a common goal to integrate cutting-edge technology for knowledge extraction, representation and integration to help drug discovery scientists to generate therapeutic hypotheses.
Research Software Engineer - Database and Knowledge Representation
Application closing date: 20 May 2024
Generative AI has revolutionised the way we interact with knowledge. We are extending the capabilities of the Open Targets Platform towards LLM integration using open-source frameworks. The project aims to improve on extraction, representation, and usage of scientific knowledge, and present this knowledge to platform users in a user-friendly way.
As a Research Software Engineer you will be instrumental in extending our Open Targets Platform framework to include a modular knowledge graph platform. Your expertise will enhance the robustness and efficiency of our data processing and knowledge representation systems, contributing directly to our open science initiatives.
This position would be embedded in the Saez-Rodriguez Group and benefit from joint supervision with Sebastian Lobentanzer at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD).