Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/div) in Antimicrobial Peptide Discovery and Engineering

Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology; Deutschland; Vor Ort; EUR 50.000 - 60.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A research institute in Germany is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher for its Antimicrobial Peptide Discovery and Engineering group. This role involves designing and testing antimicrobial compounds using a state-of-the-art robotic platform. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in related fields and extensive synthetic biology experience. This position offers a collaborative environment and opportunities for scientific contributions.

Leistungen

Comprehensive mentoring program

University health promotion

Wide range of university sports activities

Outstanding research facilities

Qualifikationen

• PhD in relevant fields is required.
• Extensive synthetic biology and molecular biology experience.
• Experience with DNA/peptide library creation is necessary.
• Familiarity with automated systems is advantageous.

Aufgaben

• Design and test antimicrobial compounds.
• Utilize a robotic platform for automated workflows.
• Create and analyze research data.
• Prepare scientific reports and publications.

Kenntnisse

Synthetic biology

Molecular biology techniques

Molecular cloning

Creation of DNA/peptide libraries

High-throughput screening assay

Automated liquid handling systems

Communication skills

Problem-solving abilities

Ausbildung

PhD in synthetic biology, natural product chemistry, microbiology, life science, or a related discipline

Jobbeschreibung

In a joint, multi-disciplinary approach, the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena together with the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (www.leibniz-hki.de#) has launched the SynThera initiative (www.synthera.eu) funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, which aims to design, create, and deploy synthetic microorganisms to detect and destroy bacterial and fungal pathogens selectively. SynThera consortium contains ten research groups and is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Kai Papenfort and Prof. Dr. Miriam Rosenbaum. Within the consortium, the junior research group of Robotic-assisted Discovery of Antiinfectives:https://www.leibniz-hki.de/de/robotikgestuetzte-entdeckung-von-antiinfektiva.html# focuses on the design and testing of antimicrobial compounds in response to infection-specific signals. The group is seeking to fill the position of a

Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/div) in Antimicrobial Peptide Discovery and Engineering
to start at the earliest possible date.

The project aims for the engineering of biosynthetic pathways encoding for natural products, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs, RiPPs), for maximal specificity and activity against microbial human pathogens.
Libraries of peptide-based natural products will be produced using molecular cloning and the resulting compounds will be screened to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. The modular robotic platform JenXplor will be used to fully automate these workflows, enabling the systematic testing and engineering of peptides at a high throughput.

Your profile:

• PhD in synthetic biology, natural product chemistry, microbiology, life science, or a related discipline
• Extensive experience in synthetic biology and molecular biology techniques, particularly molecular cloning
• Experience with the creation of DNA / peptide libraries (e.g., by error‑prone PCR)
• Experience with (antimicrobial) peptides and peptide‑based natural products (e.g., RiPPs)
• Expertise in high‑throughput screening assay and/or familiarity with automated liquid handling systems is advantageous
• Familiarity with automated liquid handling systems is a plus
• Excellent communication skills for interdisciplinary collaboration and strong problem‑solving abilities

What you can expect:

• A state‑of‑the‑art robotic platform for automated biological screening, including antimicrobial activity assays, colony picking, mutant library generation, and heterologous expression of BGCs
• A highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research team (ten research groups) in the SynThera initiative
• An integrated, translational research strategy, including fundamental and applied approaches
• You will create, process, analyze, and interpret the research data, prepare reports and scientific publications
• You will take part and present your work in scientific discussions and at national and international meetings

We offer:

• A communicative and interdisciplinary environment with active scientific community
• An outstanding scientific environment of the Beutenberg Campus providing state‑of‑the‑art research facilities and a highly integrative network of life science and technical science institutes and groups
• Strong scientific collaborations with academic and industrial partners
• A comprehensive mentoring program, including training in soft skills, offered by the Jena Graduate Academy and the Jena School of Microbial Communication
• University health promotion and a wide range of university sports activities
• A salary according to German TV‑L (salary agreement for public service employees)

Further information:

Dr. Luzia Gyr | [e-mail]

Applications:

Leibniz‑HKI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It aims to increase the proportion of underrepresented groups in case of equal suitability. All qualified persons, regardless of color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law will receive consideration for employment.

Complete applications in English should include a cover letter, a CV containing a complete list of publications, a brief statement of research experiences, and the addresses of two possible referees and should be submitted via the Leibniz‑HKI online application system:https://jobs.hki-jena.de/jobs/Postdoctoral-Researcher-mfdiv-in-Antimicrobial-Peptide-Eng-eng-f614.html# The deadline for the advertisement is December 21, 2025, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology
Adolf‑Reichwein‑Straße 23 | 07745 Jena