This position is advertised within the CRC 1371 and is located at the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan (Prof. Haller, Chair of Nutrition and Immunology; http://www.nutrition-immunolgy.de). CRC 1371 (Speaker Prof. Dr. Dirk Haller, Department of Nutrition and Immunology, TUM) focuses on the digestive tract and proposes an interdisciplinary approach to characterizing the functional relevance of microbiome signatures in the context of intestinal inflammation and cancer.
Activities and responsibilities: In this PhD project (P18), we study the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the pathogenesis of inflammation-associated cancer. Incidence rates of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have increased substantially and IBD patients have a significantly elevated risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Currently there is no cure or effective long-term treatment for IBD, highlighting the crucial need to understand the mechanisms of disease onset and pathogenesis.
In this project, we isolate human isolates of Desulfovibrio from patients with different disease background and explore their functional relevance to induce inflammation-associated cancer in germ-free mouse models using disease-relevant synthetic microbial communities.
Molecular mechanisms of microbe-host interactions will be explored in vivo using the colonization experiments as well as ex vivo using intestinal organoid cultures. The long-term perspective of this project is to develop microbiome-based targets for the prevention of inflammation-associated cancer in IBD patients.
Qualification profile
Applicants should hold a Master degree in (Molecular) Biology or Nutrition Science and have a strong interest in Microbiology and Immunology. They should be fluent in spoken and written English.
Benefits
Within CRC 1371, the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) provides a qualification program for PhD students containing excellent multidisciplinary training with tailor-made subject-based and soft skills courses, annual retreats, summer school, and a supervision concept.
Salary and duration
Payment is according to the wage agreement of the civil service TV-L, 65% of E13 for PhD student positions for 4 years. Please note that there are no additional postgraduate degree fees required for international candidates.
As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, TUM explicitly encourages applications from women as well as from all others who would bring additional diversity dimensions to the university’s research and teaching strategies. Preference will be given to disabled candidates with essentially the same qualifications.
Data Protection Information:
When you apply for a position with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to personal information, please take note of the Datenschutzhinweise gemäß Art. 13 Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zur Erhebung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihrer Bewerbung. (data protection information on collecting and processing personal data contained in your application in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.
Application:
Applicants are asked to send one pdf file to the contact person with the subject “Application for PhD student P18”. The file includes
- a cover letter,
- a curriculum vitae,
- all copies of academic degrees and transcripts of records,
- the up-to-date contact information for at least one letter of recommendation,
- a list of publications with link for downloading (Do not include your publications in the pdf file).
Application deadline
January 31st 2023
Send application to:
Prof. Dr. Dirk Haller
Technical University of Munich, Chair of Nutrition and Immunology
Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354 Freising
Email: dirk.haller@tum.de