Two PhD positions (f/m/d) available in Single Molecule Biophysics

Two PhD positions (f/m/d) available in Single Molecule Biophysics for a joint project between the University of Würzburg, Germany and the LMU in Munich, Germany, entitled: New light on the AGT-DNA alkyltransferase lesion repair mechanism with Graphene Energy Transfer on vertical Nucleic Acids (GETvNA)

We are looking for two highly motivated PhD students with interest and experience in single-molecule biophysics and biophotonics or DNA repair, protein biochemistry, and protein-DNA interactions.

The project is strongly interdisciplinary and will be split between the laboratories of Dr. Ingrid Tessmer at the University of Würzburg (single molecule studies of DNA repair) and Prof. Philip Tinnefeld at the LMU (nanobiosciences), building on our recent development of the novel single-molecule methodology GETvNA (graphene induced energy transfer on vertical nucleic acids, published recently in Nature Methods: https://rdcu.be/dZyyO). The PhD project at the University of Würzburg is more biologically oriented and will involve protein preparations and biochemical as well as biophysical characterisation of the essential DNA repair protein AGT.

The PhD project at the LMU is more physically oriented and will focus on applications of GETvNA and on new superresolution microscopy methods (pMINFLUX) to study AGT-DNA interactions. The overall project will thus comprise on the one hand state of the art applications and developments in single-molecule biophysical methodology and on the other hand medically relevant insights in DNA repair mechanism, protein-DNA interactions, and protein biochemistry.

The two PhD projects will be closely intertwined and will profit from a high degree of collaboration with frequent visits between the Universities.

The project duration for PhD students is 3 years. The working language is English. The PhD students will also become members of the graduate schools at the respective university.

The ideal candidate will have a background in biophysics or biochemistry (experience with single molecule experiments and data analyses would be a bonus) and possess a Master’s degree, as well as good communication skills and proficiency in English language.

Submit your application including a letter of motivation, your CV, a short abstract about your master thesis, as well as contact details of your master thesis advisor and one additional reference (professor or group leader who will be able to assess your scientific strengths) by 31 December 2024 to Ingrid Tessmer (Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!) or Philip Tinnefeld (Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!).

We will start reviewing applications immediately, but will continue to accept applications until the positions are filled.