PhD position in biology (m/f/d) (1/2026)

Ihr Aufgabengebiet

Research topic:

Our newly established research group investigates how plant immune receptors cooperate to trigger an immune response and how to leverage this knowledge to develop strategies for sustainable disease resistance in crops.

Plants have evolved diverse immune receptors to perceive biotic stresses and trigger defence responses. Among these, Nucleotide-binding, Leucine-rich-Repeat proteins (NLRs) constitute a large family of intracellular receptors of pathogen-associated molecules, termed effectors. To restrict infection, NLRs trigger a response leading to cell death upon pathogen recognition. A recent evolutionary model proposes that NLRs have evolved from single units (singleton NLRs) able to both detect and respond to the presence of pathogen associated molecules to functionally specialised units that either detect the pathogen (sensor NLRs) or execute the immune response (helper NLRs). Some sensor and helper NLRs work as genetically linked pairs or complex interconnected networks. Importantly, both sensor and helper partners are required for resistance upon pathogen infection.

In the ERC-funded project “CooPAIRation”, we aim to harness the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of a wheat immune receptor pair to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning paired receptor compatibility and guide the design of optimised immune receptor pairs for disease resistance.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a strong interest in plant immunity and plant-microbe interactions. Please submit a single PDF containing a CV and cover letter describing your research interests. Applications will be reviewed until the 09/03/2026 and interviews will be held shortly after.

Your tasks:

• Phylogenetic analyses
• Routine molecular biology work
• Protein biochemistry
• Immune response assays in plants and protoplasts.
• Documentation and presentation of results, drafting publications
• Lab supervision of students, support of guest scientists

Ihr Profil

• Diploma or master’s degree in biology, biochemistry, or closely related field
• Very good English language skills (written and spoken)
• Independent and solution-oriented work ethic
• Interdisciplinary mindset and enthusiasm for teamwork
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Some lab experience in molecular biology and/or biochemistry
• Desirable, but not required, knowledge and skills include:
  • Experience with plant work, preferentially Nicotiana benthamiana and/or grasses
  • A good understanding of key concepts in plant–microbe interactions

Wir bieten

• Moderne Arbeitsbedingungen: Umfassende Einführung in die Arbeitstechniken und modernes Forschungsumfeld mit erstklassiger Ausstattung und aktueller Software
• Karriereförderung: Gezielte Weiterbildung und Zugang zu einer Spezialbibliothek mit elektronischen Ressourcen und ruhigen Arbeitsplätzen
• Vergütung & Sicherheit: Eingruppierung nach TV-L inkl. Jahressonderzahlung, Altersvorsorge (VBL), Gesundheitsangebote und vergünstigte Mensa
• Ideales Arbeitsumfeld: Abwechslungsreicher Arbeitsplatz in einem internationalen Umfeld und führenden Wissenschaftsstandort
• Teamgeist und Führungskultur: Offene Kultur, die Teamarbeit stärkt, ein Karrierenetzwerk ermöglicht und Ihre Forschungskompetenzen fördert.
• Work-Life-Balance: Flexible Arbeitsmodelle, Homeoffice und 30 Urlaubstage – für eine ausgewogene Work-Life-Balance

Über uns

The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) is a non-university research institution of the Leibniz Association on the Weinberg Campus of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. As a foundation under public law, the IPB is under direct supervision of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The IPB is an internationally recognized research institution and consists of four scientific Departments, additional independent junior research groups, and the Department Administration & Infrastructure (about 200 employees, including about 40 PhD students). Research at the IPB aims to understand the (bio)chemical basis of plant resilience and performance in challenging environments related to climate change. The IPB offers excellent research facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure to investigate the chemical diversity, biochemical interactions, and biological roles of small natural molecules in plants and fungi, with an emphasis on specialized metabolites, chemical mediators, and relevant molecular networks of functional gene and protein regulation (https://www.ipb-halle.de/en/).

Dr. Clemence Marchal
Research Associate
Telefon:
clemence.marchal@zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de

Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie (IPB)
Weinberg 3
06120 Halle (Saale)


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