Parliament2 runs a combination of tools to generate structural variant calls on whole-genome sequencing data. It can run the following callers: Breakdancer, Breakseq2, CNVnator, Delly2, Manta, and Lumpy. Because of synergies in how the programs use computational resources, these are all run in parallel. Parliament2 will produce the outputs of each of the tools for subsequent investigation.

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/dnanexus/parliament2

Pay Scale: Rs. 40,000/-per month +HRA (as admissible) for Ph.D. holders and Rs. 38,000/-p.m. + HRA (as admissible) for Master degree holder

Qualifications: a)Essential :

Ph.D.in Biotechnology/ Molecular B iology/ Genetics & Plant Breeding/ Bioinformatics ( Should have the degree in life sciences at gra duate level) OR Post - Graduation in Biotechnology/ Molecular Biology/ Bioinformati cs/Genetics & Plant Breeding

or equivalent with at least two years of research experience and 60% marks. ( should have a degree in life sciences at graduate level)

b) Desirable :

1. Working experience in plant molecular biology

2. Knowledge of Computational Genomics/Proteomics/ Bioinformatics

3. Working knowledge on Computer programming

Walk-in Interview will be held at The Indian Institute of Spices Research, Marikunnu P.O., Kozikode-673012, Kerala on 28/7/2015 at 10.00 AM.

For more details: http://www.spices.res.in/pdf/Mining%20and%20Validation%20Website.pdf

Project Scientist-I
Experimental / Computation analysis experience in highthroughput genomics/ clinical application.

Project Manager
Experience in handling large biological projects involving high-throughput genomics/ clinical application.

Scientific Administrative Assistant
Lab Work.

More at https://vinodscaria.genomes.in/positionsopen

Desirable qualification: M.Sc (Life Sciences) with Bioinformatics knowledge and hands on molecular biology tools.

Age: Not exceeding 30 years on the last date of receipt of application

Job work: Molecular modelling studies, Database curation, Metagenomic studies on Dengue virus

Advertisement: http://vcrc.res.in/writereaddata/BIPrj15.pdf

The "Ifs" of NGS QC and Trimming

1. Ensures Data Integrity
   If you want to minimize errors in downstream analyses, QC and trimming remove low-quality reads and bases, ensuring high-confidence data. This step is essential for reliable variant calling, assembly, and other applications.

2. Removes Contaminants
   If adapter sequences or contaminants are present in the raw reads, trimming can eliminate them. This prevents issues like misalignment or incorrect biological interpretations, ensuring cleaner data for analysis.

3. Improves Mapping and Assembly
   If your goal is better alignment to a reference genome or improved de novo assembly, trimming low-quality bases and adapters is critical. High-quality reads map more efficiently and generate more accurate assemblies.

4. Reduces Computational Load
   If you want to save computational resources, trimming reduces the dataset size, which speeds up processing and analysis. Clean datasets mean less computational time spent on processing low-quality data.

5. Prepares for Standardized Analyses
   If your project involves multiple datasets, QC and trimming ensure uniformity across them. This standardization makes comparisons valid and reproducible, particularly in large collaborative studies.

The "Buts" of NGS QC and Trimming

1. Risk of Over-Trimming
   But excessive trimming can lead to the loss of informative sequences, reducing read depth and potentially discarding biologically relevant data. This is especially critical in studies with limited sequencing depth.

2. Bias Introduction
   But trimming algorithms might introduce biases, especially if they inadvertently remove sequences with specific biological patterns. This can skew results and compromise biological insights.

3. Loss of Context in Paired-End Reads
   But trimming one read in a pair more than the other can lead to loss of pairing information. This complicates downstream analyses that rely on paired-end data, such as structural variant detection.

4. Time and Resource Intensive
   But running QC and trimming for large datasets can be computationally expensive and time-consuming. As sequencing depth increases, preprocessing becomes a bottleneck in the analysis pipeline.

5. Variable Standards
   But the criteria for trimming (e.g., quality threshold, minimum read length) can vary between tools and datasets. This variability may affect reproducibility and comparability of results across studies.

Balancing the "Ifs" and "Buts"

To maximize the benefits of QC and trimming while mitigating the challenges, consider the following best practices:

• Use QC Tools Wisely: Start with tools like FastQC to identify quality issues in your raw data. Visualizing quality metrics helps tailor your trimming parameters.

• Choose Reliable Trimming Tools: Tools like Trimmomatic, Cutadapt, and BBduk offer adaptive and customizable trimming options. Select one that aligns with your dataset and project goals.

• Set Reasonable Parameters: Avoid over-trimming by setting quality thresholds and minimum read lengths that balance data retention and quality improvement.

• Test Downstream Effects: Validate the impact of QC and trimming on downstream analyses, such as alignment efficiency, variant calling accuracy, or assembly quality.

• Document Your Workflow: Maintain detailed records of the parameters and tools used for QC and trimming. This ensures reproducibility and enables better troubleshooting.

Conclusion

NGS quality control and trimming are essential steps to ensure reliable and accurate data for analysis. While the "ifs" highlight the clear benefits of these steps, the "buts" remind us of the potential pitfalls. By adopting best practices and carefully balancing these considerations, you can optimize your preprocessing workflow and unlock the full potential of your sequencing data.

WALK-IN-INTERVIEW (EMPLOYMENT NOTIFICATION)

Eligible candidates are invited to apply for the following post on the ad hoc research project entitled “Biomedical Informatics Centre’s of ICMR” - funded by ICMR at this Institute. The Applications will be received from the individuals on 31st July, 2015 between 9:30 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. at Conference Hall, NIN, Tarnaka, Hyderabad.

Late applications will not be entertained after 10:30 A.M. at any circumstances.

The Candidates may download the Application Form from NIN website: www.ninindia.org

Selection Procedure: Written test and Interview will be conducted to the eligible candidates, if the large numbers of candidates are found to be eligible in the screening. If the lesser number of candidates are found to be eligible in the screening, interview will be conducted only to the short listed candidates for final selection. The names of the shortlisted candidates will be displayed on the Notice Board, which is kept in front of the Conference Hall by 11:30 A.M.

Date of Written Test / Interview: 31st July, 2015. The essential qualification, experience, consolidated Pay and service tenure are as under:

1. Scientist-II (no. of vacancies -1 No.) (UR)

Essential Qualifications :

(i) First Class Master’s Degree in Bio-informatics/ Life Sciences form a recognized University with 4 years R&D experience in the biomedical informatics subject. (or)

(ii) 2nd Class M.Sc./ M.Tech. in Bio-informatics + Ph.D. in the relevant subject from recognized University with 4 years research experience in the biomedical informatics subject.

Age limit : Not exceeding 40 years. Cons.

Pay : Rs.45,954/- p.m. plus 30% HRA p.m. (fixed) without any other allowances.

Tenure : Initially upto 29th February, 2016 and extendable for three more years based on the performance of the candidate and funds position.

Note: Age relaxation will be given to the deserving Candidates. The short listed candidates should bring all original certificates of educational qualification (from SSC onwards), experience, SC/ST/OBC Community Certificate / PH Certificates along with a pass port size photograph and set of Photo copies duly attested for attending the Written Test/Interview. The persons belonging to Other Backward Category should bring the latest O.B.C. (Non-creamy layer) Certificate issued by the respective Tahsildar/ MRO specifically issued for the purpose of applying for Central Government Post. No TA/DA will be paid for attending the Written Test /Interview.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: The conditions of employment will be the same as are for the project staff on contract basis. The candidates have no right to claim for any regular employment at this Institute. The Director In-charge & Appointing Authority has the right to accept / reject any application without assigning any reason/s and no correspondence in this matter will be entertained.

More at http://ninindia.org/31July2015.pdf

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/broadinstitute/VariantBam

In fact, there are huge demands for expert biological data analyst. It’s a fairly new  (not exactly) hot area, these bioinformatician are invaluable because they know and understand the significance of biological data for your research and how you can use it for better understanding of biological problems.

The bioinformatics can discover biological patterns and stories in genomic and proteomics data. They can develop the pipeline needed to properly collect, store and analyse it.

Once your research group is ready to make a larger investment and hire a bioinformatician to gain a competitive edge, there are several key traits to seek out in potential candidates. The best bioinformatician are:

1. Highly Skilled - programming skills, experience with the biological software and tools.

The biological data won’t illuminate much if the scientist analysing it doesn’t possess practical programming skills, experience with the biological software and tools and a thorough understanding of basic biological stuff. A solid background in mathematics and statistics is also an indispensable trait.

2. Insight - Real vision, robust understanding and deep insight.

In order to hire the best bioinformatics and computational biologist scientist for your needs, it is always recommended and mostly practiced by the recruiters, to ask each contender to write and develop a sample script/presentation based on a specific set of data you provide. Then, explore the approaches used to deal with data provided and pick up those candidates who convey real vision, robust understanding and deep insight.

3. Energetic – Curiosity to explore

Mostly natural curiosity and enthusiasm for solving big biological problems coupled with an ability to transform data into a scientific stories may place one candidate above the rest. In addition to achieve that, the bioinformatician should be agile enough to quickly modify their methods to suit changes within a particular research.

4. Researcher – Publications

Look for someone who has a keen sense and understanding of concern biological problems. You can judge it by looking at previously published papers and data. It is always recommended to have a look at GitHub and other repository for codes written by her/him.

5. Impressive communicator - Insight that can’t be expressed is worthless.

Good bioinformatics scientists are able to uncover biological patterns and are willing to explain those patterns in clear and helpful ways through thoughtful and open communication. In other words, they should must have good scientific writing skills. A computational biologis/bioinformatician  should know how to present the data and tell a scientific story through numbers/images.

A swift, versatile phylogenomic and high-throughput sequencing simulator https://jackalope.lucasnell.com

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/lucasnell/jackalope

Applications are invited for one JRF position supported by DST sponsored project in Bioinformatics with Dr. Tarun Kumar Bhatt.

Title of the project: Molecular Modeling of malaria parasite ‘secretome’: A potential drug target

Fellowship: Rs. 14000 consolidated

Duration of project: 36 months.

Essential Qualification: Master’s degree in Biotechnology/Bioinformatics with minimum 55% marks. Age limit as per government rule.

Candidates with good experience of molecular modeling, In-silico screening, MD simulation and database formation will be preferred. Good knowledge of Linux operating system is desirable.

How to apply: Interested candidate can send soft copy of application in format given below to tarun@curaj.ac.in on or before 29/08/2015.

1. Name
2. Fathers name
3. Date of Birth
5. Age
6. Sex
7. Address
8. Telephone / mobile no.
9. Email:
10. Academic qualifications starting from 10th class.
11. Summary of experience in molecular modeling, In-silico screening and database formation.

General Conditions:

1.Selected candidate would be informed for date and time of the interview via email .
2. No TA/DA will be paid for attending the interview.

More at http://www.curaj.ac.in/2015/Rec/aug/Advertisement%20for%20post%20of%20JRF%20under%20DST%20project%28BioTech%29.pdf