Bioinformatics / Computational Biology Internship

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. AstraZeneca has long been an advocate of student work placement training. These placements immerse students in the pharmaceutical industry, allowing the opportunity to contribute to our diverse pipeline of medicines whether in the lab or outside of it. You will feel trusted and empowered to take on new challenges, but with all the help and guidance you need to succeed. At AstraZeneca, you will engage in meaningful work within a pioneering research and development organization. This placement will help you develop essential skills, expand your knowledge, and build a network that will set you up for future success. You will be surrounded by curious, passionate, and open-minded professionals eager to learn and follow the science, fostering your growth in a truly collaborative and global team.

Introduction to role

At AstraZeneca, we work continuously to identify new targets and biomarkers to bring better treatments to patients. In our early trials, we collect different types of data to gain a better understanding of the biology of the disease and its impact on the effectivity of the treatment, as well as how tumours may develop resistance to our treatments. Although RNA-Seq is traditionally used for gene expression analysis, there is published work where attempts have been made to also get mutation calls from RNA-Seq data (Yizhak et al. 2019 (Science)). We have introduced one of the pipelines designed to call mutations from RNA-Seq data (https://nf-co.re/rnadnavar/dev/) and we would like to explore more in depth the results in some of our data. In particular, we would like to study the results to see if we can gain understanding on the mechanism of resistance to one of our treatments.

Accountabilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for analyzing the results provided by the pipeline calling mutations from RNA-Seq data, comparing it to available DNA-Seq data and exploring their possible relevance as mechanisms of resistance. They will need to document their findings and summarise and communicate the results to the team.

Essential Skills/Experience

The candidate should have experience in bioinformatics/computational biology, and they should be familiar with analysis of mutation data.

AstraZeneca is where you can immerse yourself in groundbreaking work with real patient impact. Trusted to work on important projects, you’ll have the independence to take on new challenges while receiving all the guidance you need to succeed. Our collaborative environment is designed to help you grow professionally and personally, surrounded by passionate individuals eager to make a difference.

Additional Information: Applications are now open until 4th March 2025.. Start date 02/06/2025 - 29/08/2025 and you can expect to hear from us by the end of March 2025.

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now and join us on this exciting journey!