Location
Bergisch Gladbach | Germany
Job description
The section ”Molecular Cell Biology of Infection“ at the Cell Biology Institute of the University of Bonn is looking for
PhD students (m / f / d) (TV-L E13/65%, fixed term contract, 3 years).
The University of Bonn is a certified University of Excellence, and the life sciences are one of its most successful research branches. The host laboratory of Prof. Dr. Albert Haas is well integrated into the local research environment and cooperates with working groups from all over the world to advance research projects competitively.
Aufgaben:
Your project: To unravel, how immune cells protect us from microbial entruders
Macrophages phagocytose and kill microbes that have invaded our bodies and are therefore essential for innate immunity against infectious diseases. During phagocytosis, macrophages engulf microbes in large plasma membrane-derived vesicles, termed “phagosomes”. Phagosomes eventually fuse with lysosomes, degradative compartments in cells. This way, ingested microbes are confronted with and killed by the lysosomes’ digestive enzymes. Intracellular pathogens, such the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, evade lysosomal degradation by inhibiting phagosome-lysosome fusion. The proposed project aims to determine the molecular composition and functionality of the fusion apparatus of phagosomes and lysosomes. In particular, you will analyse how lipids of the phosphatidylinositol phosphate family control the assembly and activity of this apparatus. You will, e.g., use an unique cell-free assay system that reconstitutes phagosome-lysosome fusion with purified compartments in a test tube to mechanistically dissect membrane fusion mechanisms.
For further information on our research mission and methodologies, please take a look at:
- Jeschke A et al. (2015) PNAS, .1073/pnas.1423456112
- Jeschke A, Haas A (2018) Mol Biol Cell, .1091/mbc.E17-07-0464
- Schleinitz A et al. (2023) Cell Reports, .1016/j.celrep.2022.111969
Qualifikationsprofil:
- A Master’s degree in cell biology, biochemistry or a related field with good grades and a thesis on topically relevant practical work.
- Profound textbook knowledge of cell biology, especially in membrane biology.
- Interest in basic research in cell biology and in developing and advancing your research project.
Benefits:
- An exciting research project where you will learn many state-of-the-art cell and molecular biology methods and where you have many opportunities to contribute your own ideas.
- A project that is based on established methods and therefore promises rapid success.
- Comprehensive supervision which has seen many students through graduation.
- Secure funding for your project from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft with salary according to 13 TV-L.
- Access to a comprehensive range of certified professional training (certificate „doctorate plus“ of the University of Bonn).
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