PhD Position in Structural Biology in Garching bei München bei Helmholtz Zentrum München

Helmholtz Zentrum München

102454

Full time
39 h/week

Garching

Home Office Options

We are Helmholtz Munich. In a rapidly changing world, we discover breakthrough solutions for better health.

Our research is focused within the areas of metabolic health/diabetes, environmental health, molecular targets and therapies, cell programming and repair, bioengineering, and computational health. We particularly excel in the fields of basic research, bioengineering, artificial intelligence, and technological development.

Through this research, we build the foundations for medical innovation. Together with our partners, we seek to accelerate the transfer of our research, so that laboratory ideas can reach society and improve people’s quality of life at the fastest rate possible.

This is what drives us. Why not join us and make a difference?

We invite applications for a fully funded PhD position to join the Alderson Lab in the Institute of Structural Biology at Helmholtz Munich and the Department of Bioscience at TU Munich. The prospective student will be jointly enrolled in the Helena Graduate School and the Technical University of Munich Graduate School, and upon successful evaluation of the thesis will obtain a PhD degree from TU Munich.

In the Alderson Lab, we aim to understand how proteins in the heat shock and cell death pathways sense and react to stress. Many components of these pathways oligomerize and contain intrinsically disordered regions that lack stable structures. To characterize these dynamic systems, we leverage an integrative structural biology approach that combines NMR spectroscopy, cryo-EM, and other biophysical techniques. In addition, we deploy AI-based protein structure prediction methods, with recent applications focusing on proteome-level structural bioinformatics.

We are a new and expanding research group that is part of the Institute of Structural Biology () and based at the Bavarian NMR Center () on the TUM-Garching Campus. We have access to state-of-the-art structural biology infrastructure, including a 1.2-GHz NMR spectrometer and a 300-kV Titan Krios G4 cryo-electron microscope, as well as outstanding computational resources. During your thesis research, you will gain expertise with cutting-edge structural biology methods, develop computational biology and data analysis skills, and become proficient in different molecular biology and biochemistry laboratory techniques.

Prof. Matthias Tschöp (Dr. Med., Dr. hc.), CEO of Helmholtz Munich: "We believe that excellent research requires a range of different perspectives. Diverse teams reach better solutions and are more innovative in their research topics.

Establishing our Diversity Management Strategy demonstrates our commitment to ensuring an appreciative company culture based on mutual respect. We are also implementing diversity-sensitive processes throughout our whole organization."

Your tasks

• Reconstitute biomolecular complexes in vitro using molecular biology and biochemistry techniques
• Structurally characterize proteins and their complexes using advanced methods such as NMR spectroscopy and cryo-electron microscopy
• Molecular modeling with AI-based protein structure prediction methods
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and publish your findings in international journals
• Present your findings at national and international research conferences

Your profile

• Exceptional students holding a Master’s degree in biochemistry, biophysics, chemistry, computational biology, molecular biology, pharmacy, or structural biology
• Strong interest in structural biology, NMR, and/or intrinsically disordered protein regions
• Demonstrable experience in molecular biology, protein science, or structural biology
• Outstanding motivation to participate in a competitive research program
• English language proficiency, both written and spoken

Benefits

• Scientific Training: Helmholtz Munich Graduate School
• Career counseling: Career Center for PhD candidates
• Recreation: 30 days annual leave, flexi days, plus public holidays
• Health Promotion: Sports, company doctor, mental health initiatives
• International Staff Service: Support with the relocation and integration process in Germany

Since 2005, we hold the TOTAL E-QUALITY award for exemplary action in the sense of an equal-opportunity organizational culture.

Helmholtz Munich is actively committed to diversity and inclusion in practice and is sustainably committed to equality.

The Diversity Charter has set itself the goal of promoting diversity in the world of work. By signing the charter, we commit ourselves to create an appreciative working environment for all employees.

This position provi