PhD Position in Biochemistry/Chemistry | PhD (m/w/d)

Job Summary

This PhD position, funded by the DFG and part of the Integrated Research Training Group (RTG) Beyond Amphiphilicity, focuses on dissecting the interactions that lead to selectivity of pepstatin-based probes for photoaffinity labeling of plant aspartic proteases. The successful candidate will join the independent research group Receptor Biochemistry at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), an interdisciplinary environment where computational chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and plant science converge. Key responsibilities include virtual screening and molecular docking of probe variants, applying chemical synthesis, advanced modeling, protease biochemistry, mass spectrometry, and structural analysis methods. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding plant resilience and developing improved probes for agricultural challenges within an internationally recognized research institution with excellent facilities and a supportive training program.