PhD Students / Research Assistants - Membrane Protein Assemblies (CRC 1507)

About the role

Multiple four-year PhD positions within the Collaborative Research Center 1507 (CRC 1507) at Goethe University Frankfurt, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The CRC investigates membrane-associated protein assemblies and their roles in signal transduction and disease. Positions are 65% part-time at pay grade E 13 TV-G-U, starting as agreed. Deadline: 30 June 2026. Candidates may apply to a maximum of three of seven available subprojects (P03, P09, P11, P12, P17, P18, P19).

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent and supervised research on mechanistic characterisation of protein complexes at cell membranes within your chosen subproject.
• Apply methods from structural biology, biophysics, biochemistry, or cell biology depending on the subproject.
• Contribute to CRC-wide collaboration meetings, retreats, and joint publications.
• Write a PhD thesis under the mentorship of a thesis advisory committee.
• Participate in the CRC’s graduate school programme (courses, seminars, workshops).

Requirements

• Master’s degree in biochemistry, biophysics, chemistry, molecular biology, or a closely related field.
• Very good English skills, both written and oral (German is not required).
• Strong theoretical background and practical laboratory experience relevant to the chosen subproject.
• Willingness to work across disciplinary boundaries within the CRC.

Nice to have

• Experience with cryo-EM, NMR, X-ray crystallography, or single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.
• Familiarity with structural modelling (AlphaFold, Rosetta) or molecular dynamics simulations.
• A first-author paper or preprint in structural biology, biochemistry, or biophysics.

How to apply

Send a single application email to application.crc1507@uni-frankfurt.de with the subject line listing the subproject codes you are applying to (max 3). Attach: CV, cover letter explaining your subproject choices, academic transcripts, MSc certificate, and two reference letters or contact details. Deadline: 30 June 2026. Visit the apply link for full subproject descriptions.