PHD Student no​/ICHB​/PSD

Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences

Organisation/Company Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences Department Poznań Doctoral School of the Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Poland Final date to receive applications 31 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number 28/2025/ICHB/PSD Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

KEY WORDS:

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD), pathogenesis of ALS/FTD, RNA-protein interactions, cryogenic electron microscopy, crystallography, structural biology

Research topic:

A comprehensive structural and functional analysis of toxic RNA-protein interactions for better understanding and therapeutic targeting of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia

We offer a PhD student position within the OPUS-28 (LAP) project, carried out in close collaboration with the Slovenian group led by Prof. Boris Rogelj from the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana.

Our research focuses on the complex pathogenesis of two genetic diseases, ALS and FTD. In particular, we are interested in “toxic” RNA molecules whose structure and interactions with proteins located in the nucleus and cytoplasm lead to the dysfunction of nerve cells and, ultimately, to their death. Despite numerous studies, including our own, on the toxic RNA–protein interactome and the identification of more than a thousand proteins, the structural and mechanistic details of these interactions remain unknown.

So far, no atomic model has been identified for complexes between mutated transcripts and the aggregation-prone proteins bound to them. Due to the large knowledge gap in this area of structural interactome research, the results obtained will have significant cognitive impact and strong potential for publication in high-impact-factor journals.

In this project, we will apply interdisciplinary approaches in structural biology (cryo-electron microscopy, cryo

EM; crystallography), biophysical and biochemical methods, as well as functional studies conducted on human cells.

Additional information:

• Research and doctoral theses shall be carried out within the project UMO-2024/55/I/NZ5/02887, entitled “A comprehensive structural and functional analysis of toxic RNA-protein interactions for better understanding and therapeutic targeting of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia”, funded by National Science Center.
• PhD students shall receive a stipend in the gross amount of ca . 4300 PLN (3800 PLN net) for the period of 24 months with the possibility of extending up to 48 months, and with the possibility of increasing the amount of the stipend after the mid-term evaluation ( approx. 5 59 0,00 PLN gross).
• PhD students shall be subject to social insurance, pursuant to article. 6 section 1 passage 7b of the act of October 13th, 1998 on the social insurance system (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 300, 303 and 730).
• Possibility of using the Multisport card, group insurance, social benefits (co-financing of holiday leave,

PhD students shall receive a stipend in the gross amount of ca . 4300 PLN (3800 PLN net)

• MSc degree in chemistry/biology or a related field, or fulfilling the conditions stipulated in article 186, section 2 of the act of July 20th, 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 1668, as amended) or the promoter's certificate of the scheduled date of defense of the thesis in the above-mentioned research fields.
• Experience in laboratory work in the field of nucleic acids and/or protein biology and chemistry.
• Knowledge of bio-molecules properties and structure, biochemical processes, biophysical and biochemical techniques used for evaluation of RNA-protein complexes and other molecular biology techniques.
• Experience in the field…