PhD student positions available in the Jäschke lab

Thank you for your interest in joining our group.
We are interested in bright, motivated students from all over the world. Our work on the borderline of chemistry and biology is highly interdisciplinary, and our team offers a scientifically challenging and stimulating environment for anyone interested in applying chemical approaches to biological questions and vice versa. At the moment, we have the following PhD projects available:

Photoswitches and photoresponsive ribozymes
DNA-based hybrid catalysts
Bioorthogonal chemistry
Synthetic biology

 

You should have demonstrated excellence in your studies of chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, or pharmacy. Essential traits for new lab members are genuine scientific interest, curiosity and the willingness to learn and apply techniques from different fields. You should already have some research experience, and at least two scientists (faculty level) should be able to assess your qualifications.

Positions: These are paid university positions (public service scale TV-L13/2) that carry teaching duties (chemistry for pharmacists and biotechnologists). Therefore, fluency in either English or German is absolutely required, as is a good knowledge of chemistry. The initial contract will be for one year with the opportunity to renew for up to four years. Starting date is to be negotiated. All new PhD students will join the PhD program of the Faculty of Biosciences at Heidelberg University. Heidelberg University is one of the top research universities in Germany, and the IPMB is a modern research institute working on cutting-edge projects in the life sciences.

Application details:
We appreciate online applications; preferably everything combined in one PDF file. Please submit a detailed CV, a motivation letter, transcripts (including translations, if applicable) and 2 names of referees to Prof. Dr. Andres Jäschke at jaeschke@uni-hd.de.
Please be aware that generic mass mailings will automatically be deleted by the Spam filter.
Inquiries by phone (+49-6221-54-4853) or e-mail are welcome.

What happens after your application? First, I circulate your documents among the senior members of this lab. If we find your qualification and motivation interesting, I will contact your references, and also inquire via other routes. If the response is positive, I will ask you to prepare a research proposal about a topic you would like to work on if accepted to this lab (not implying that you will actually be working on this, but it is an extremely good selection criterion). If I like what you submit, I – sometimes assisted by colleagues more familiar with your country – will conduct a skype interview with you. If I am still impressed, I’ll pay you a ticket to Heidelberg where you will give a presentation about your current or past research, another presentation about your proposal, and then you will have a full day of interviews with the different lab members. By the time you arrive home, you will typically have our decision.