Summary of the research project

The objective of this thesis is to propose a methodology to select and measure in a precise, simple and repeatable way the phenotype of Tahitian pearls on a few thousand individuals per lineage and per year, if possible in a non-lethal way on the candidates (or lethal on parent oysters that were used as genetic material in the transplantation process). The pearl phenotypes are color, luster, orientation (iridescence), aragonite deposition rate, surface and shape defects, and nacre thickness.

The developed phenotyping method will be tested on a sample of 200 to 500 pearls representative of the different existing pearl classes. Once validated, our methodology will be used to perform a genetic selection of oysters to improve the quality of the pearls produced.

This project will be carried out in partnership with the French Polynesian Marine Resources Department and local pearl farmers.

General context of the project

The Tahitian pearl is a naturally colored cultured pearl that comes from the grafting and rearing in a natural environment of the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. The pearl consists of a deposit of layers of mother-of-pearl (aragonite platelets) around a nucleus, an artificial nucleus inserted into the oyster by a grafter. The Tahitian pearl enjoys an excellent reputation for quality on the international market and is a benchmark against which all pearl production throughout the world is compared.

The quality and beauty of a pearl depends on a large number of criteria: the thickness of its nacre, its shape, the quality of its surface, its color and its luster. An international codification and a local codification in Tahiti (defined in 2001) evaluate the quality of pearls according to these criteria. Today, the evaluation of these criteria is generally done by experts.

The process is by no means automatic.We already obtained some results in the automatic evaluation of some of these criteria:

• We proposed a method for the automatic measurement of the thickness of the nacre of Tahitian pearls, for which we have filed a patent
• We also defined a method for classifying the luster of Tahitian pearls.
• We also initiated some works on the classification of the color set of a Tahitian pearl.

The main objective of this PhD thesis is to build on the results already obtained by completing them with respect to quality criteria that have not yet been fully studied, such as color, defects and shape, in order to move towards a complete automatic phenotyping of a Tahitian pearl.

The results obtained will make it possible to draw up an identity card of a pearl and its quality on all the assessable points.

ProCogia is a data consulting firm headquartered in Vancouver, BC with employees and clients across the United States and Canada. We specialize in Data Operations, Data Engineering, BI & Analytics, Data Science & Bioinformatics across a broad range of industries including Telecom, Pharma, Biotechnology, Retail, Logistics, Technology, Financial Services, Media & non-profit. We are a technology agnostic firm giving us a client first, independent approach towards delivering our Data solutions.

We’re a diverse, close-knit team with a common pursuit of providing top-class, end-to-end data solutions for our clients. In return for your talent and technical expertise, you will be rewarded with a competitive salary, generous benefits along with ample opportunity for personal development. ‘Growth mindset’ is something we seek in all our new hires and has helped drive much of our recent growth across North America. Our distinct approach is to push the limits and value derived from data. Working within ProCogia’s thriving environment will allow you to unleash your full career potential.

ProCogia has experienced considerable growth over the last two years & core to our culture is maintaining a high-level of female representation throughout the company. Our diversity, and differences allow us to create innovative and effective data solutions for our clients.

Our Mission

We enable our customers to make intelligent and agile decisions through strategically tailored data solutions. We attract, develop and retain diverse, motivated and collaborative team players who love what they do.

Our Values

TRUST We build trust in all of our relationships, internally and externally

GROWTH We believe in life-long learning; both personally and professionally

INNOVATION Our technology-agnostic & innovative approach enables cutting-edge data solutions

EXCELLENCE We are committed to delivering excellence in everything we do

Description: Computational Scientist

The Barthel Laboratory is a cancer genomics lab focused on utilizing state-of-the-art genomic approaches to study the development and evolution of glial brain tumors (gliomas). The lab has a particular interest in the fundamental role of telomere dysfunction in glioma development, but is generally interested in all aspects of tumor evolution including but not limited to longitudinal studies of therapy response assessed by genomic analyses of tissue samples and liquid biopsies. The lab has received both government (eg. National Institutes of Health) and philanthropic funding for several translational and basic science research projects in this domain. We are looking for a talented, passionate and highly motivated individual to enrich our team to lead the computational efforts in our group.

Location

We are located at the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen), a non-profit research institute located in Phoenix, Arizona that is set to the backdrop of the stunning Sonoran Desert. Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the nation, the fastest growing for 5 years in a row and ranked 5th in the Nation as an Emerging Life Science Market. Phoenix’s unprecedented growth in the life sciences is fueled by over $3.25 billion in capital investment which has led to over 5 million square feet of new bioscience healthcare facilities constructed since 2019. At the heart of this growth is a 30-acre urban life sciences center – the Phoenix Biomedical Campus (PBC), at which TGen sits at the center.

Phoenix additionally boasts an incredibly comfortable lifestyle averaging over 300 sunny days a year, multiple mountain ranges in near proximity and some of the most magnificent national and state parks in the nation within driving range. The airport is ranked as one of the best in the country in terms of passenger satisfaction owing to fast moving lines at security checkpoints, and moreover is a mere 10-minute drive from TGen, making traveling to anywhere in the world a breeze.

Postdoctoral Position at Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics – Bioinformatician 

Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics (Eyam) is seeking an outstanding Bioinformatician. This is a unique opportunity to experience collaborative research with leading industry and academic experts. The successful candidate will work both in-person, on site at our Vancouver/Greater Vancouver Area offices, and remotely on a project to create and use novel algorithms for the development of self-amplifying nucleic acid vaccines.

About Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics: Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics is a private, Canadian based company focused on the research and development of vaccines that are safe, efficacious and low dose. Eyam, was named to honour the village in Derbyshire that, in 1665-1666, chose to stay and brave near certain death rather than traveling and risk transmitting the plague to their neighbouring towns. In the end, 75% of Eyam’s residents did indeed die, but their surrounding neighbours were saved due to Eyam’s heroic and selfless quarantine. Today, the world is in need of heroic, selfless acts to halt the COVID-19 spread in its tracks. Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics is joined in the cause to be “right to market” with a vaccine to end the death and suffering caused by COVID-19.

Project: Eyam seeks an outstanding scientist to help develop and use a novel, proprietary artificial intelligence created by Eyam scientists to build genetic blueprints for COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines. The collaborative research project offers the successful candidate a unique opportunity to work with academic and industry experts for vaccine research and development.

Candidate: We are hiring one bioinformatician. The ideal candidate will have a PhD (within the last 3 years) and a background in bioinformatics, computer science, or another equivalent quantitative discipline. Candidates with a background in biological sciences and/or immunology and demonstrable equivalent experience in bioinformatics will be considered. Required skills are fluency in one or more mainstream programming languages used in bioinformatics, such as Python. Knowledge of C and C++, and functional programming languages, will be considered a plus. Experience in shell programming and Unix/Linux, with possibly previous experience in HPC, is also a prerequisite. Previous wet lab work would be advantageous, although not required. The candidate should be self-motivated and able to work independently and collaboratively, with strong interpersonal skills. Excellent documentation, organizational, and communication skills are required.

Opportunity: While there is opportunity to work remotely, we would like the candidate to be able to work in our offices in the Vancouver/Greater Vancouver area. The candidate will have the opportunity to work within the highly innovative and interdisciplinary research environment spanning both Eyam and university-based collaborations. Vancouver repeatedly ranks among the most livable places in the world and combines excellence in research with high quality of life. Excellent opportunities for personal and professional development are provided.

Offer: A competitive salary ($60-70K CAD, negotiable) and benefits package, with further professional development opportunities. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and awards secured.

Application Process: Interested applicants should submit a single file containing their  CV and cover letter in PDF format. Applications should be submitted to twelch@eyamhealth.com with

‘Bioinformatics Scientist Position’ in the email subject line. Applicants for the position will be evaluated in the order they are received. Contact details of 3 references will be required later in the application process.

This posting will remain open until the position is filled. The proposed start date for this position is May 2023 and is negotiable. The appointment will initially be for one year and is extendable depending on funding availability.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.