The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA’s Major Programme 2, “Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection”. This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme’s objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture assists Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA in using nuclear techniques and related technologies to improve food security, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable agriculture. The Joint Centre consists of five Sections, each with an associated laboratory (located in Seibersdorf, 45 km south-east of Vienna), in the areas of: animal production and health; plant breeding and genetics; insect pest control; soil and water management and crop nutrition; and food and environmental protection.

The Animal Production and Health Section and Laboratory assist Member States in improving livestock productivity through the efficient use of locally available feed resources, reproduction and breeding practices, and disease diagnostic tools and control measures.

Main Purpose

The Animal Production and Health Laboratory (APHL) of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division is actively engaged in research and development, employing nuclear and nuclear-related tools to detect and monitor emerging and reemerging zoonotic pathogens at the animal-human interface. This effort is directed towards supporting disease control programs and the implementation of the ZODIAC project.
Recognizing the critical importance of preparedness in effectively controlling zoonotic and reemerging viruses and preventing their transmission between animals and humans, APHL is fully committed to developing new surveillance tools for major zoonotic pathogens within wildlife and the wildlife-livestock interface. The ability to detect and track the circulation of zoonotic pathogens in wildlife serves as an early warning system, signaling potential risks to humans.
The consultant will work closely with the laboratory team, utilizing molecular, serological, and virological techniques to create innovative detection tools for specific zoonotic diseases. This will encompass developing and optimizing species-independent serological tools, multiparametric molecular detection techniques, and viral family-based approaches for directly detecting zoonotic viruses in clinical and environmental samples through sequencing. These tools will significantly facilitate the surveillance of zoonotic pathogens at the wildlife-livestock interface.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Develop, optimize, and validate multiplex molecular diagnostic tools for viral family-based amplification and detection of emerging priority zoonotic pathogens in clinical and environmental samples using Nanopore sequencing.
• Develop, optimize, and validate a metagenomics NGS workflow for long-read sequencing based on the PacBio Sequel IIe System and Nanopore technology to enable the direct sequencing of pathogen genomes from clinical samples.
• Generate and analyze genetic data of pathogens to aid in the development of molecular diagnostics for various animal pathogens.
• Develop, adapt, optimize, and validate lyssavirus phylogroup-specific serological assays based on the luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) for the surveillance of lyssaviruses in mammals (wild and domestic).
• Collaborate with ZODIAC CRP partners to validate various molecular and serological assays for pathogen detection.
• Prepare materials and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for technology transfer to member states.
• Compile and present results for scientific publications and communicate findings to non-specialized audiences.
• Provide technical and scientific support for the VETLAB network activities.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required –

Skills and Expertise

•    Statistician/Biostatiscian

•    Animal Diseases

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in biological sciences, biomedical sciences or veterinary sciences related technical discipline.
• Proficiency in developing and optimizing molecular and serological diagnostic assays.
• Comprehensive knowledge of molecular biological techniques, including cloning, protein expression and purification, PCR, real-time PCR, Nanopore sequencing, and Next-generation sequencing.
• Experience in serological and virological techniques, including ELISA, Western blot, virus neutralization tests, and virus culture.
• Familiarity with the luciferase immunoprecipitation system for species-independent serology is a valuable asset.
• Good knowledge of conventional and Nanopore sequencing data analysis and phylogenetic analysis.
• Experience in Biosafety Level 3 laboratory pathogens and adherence to good laboratory practices.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis with working knowledge of the R programming language.
• Fluency in word processing, data analysis, and graphical presentation computer applications.
• Ability and enthusiasm for working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment;
• Good communication skills;
• Written and oral proficiency in English;
• Ability to manage time and meet deadlines;
• Self-driven with keen attention to detail and documentation.

Remuneration

The remuneration for this consultancy is a daily fee of up to a maximum of € 238, based on qualifications and experience. In case duty travel is required within the assignment, a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) and travel costs are provided. Health coverage and pension fund are the responsibility of the incumbent.