PhD Opportunity in Bioinformatics and Software Engineering for DisProt Platform Development at the University of Padova University of Padova in Italy

BioComputingUP at the University of Padova is preparing an upcoming PhD opportunity focused on the development, maintenance, and evolution of the DisProt platform, a widely used biological database and resource for the scientific community.

The position sits at the intersection of bioinformatics, software engineering, biomedical research, and biocuration. The selected candidate will work on new features for the DisProt web platform, improve user experience, integrate biological resources, and develop AI-assisted tools for literature curation, annotation, and data analysis. The role also includes backend services, frontend improvements, database architecture, testing, documentation, and deployment.

The lab is led by Prof. Silvio Tosatto and is part of an international research environment that develops resources such as DisProt and MobiDB and participates in ELIXIR and European projects. This is a strong fit for candidates interested in scientific software, biological databases, web development, APIs, data visualization, and AI-assisted annotation tools.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Software Engineering, or a related field; strong Python skills; and interest in scientific software and biological databases. Experience with JavaScript, REST APIs, Git, Linux, and web development is beneficial. AI/LLM familiarity is optional but welcomed.

Application window: the official doctoral call is expected to open shortly, and applications are accepted until 2026-07-21. Interested candidates should prepare a CV, a concise research/personal statement, and reference details, then follow the application instructions on the job opening page.