PhD student

Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences

Organisation/Company Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences Department Department of Biosystems and Soft Matter Research Field Engineering » Biomedical engineering Biological sciences » Biological engineering Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions PhD Positions Final date to receive applications 9 Aug 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Warsaw) Country Poland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

The project aims to elucidate the regulation and function of cellular heterogeneity in innate immune responses to bacterial infection. Although genetically identical immune cells are exposed to the same pathogen and environment, they often display remarkably diverse responses. Emerging evidence suggests that such heterogeneity is not simply biological noise, but may represent an important mechanism controlling infection outcomes.

Using the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model system, we will investigate how infection reshapes transcriptional variability and signalling networks in macrophages and how these changes influence pathogen control and dissemination. The project combines experimental infection biology, single-cell genomics, advanced imaging, and quantitative modelling to understand immune responses across cellular and tissue scales.

Emphasis will be placed on integrating data from human PBMC-derived macrophages and complementary mouse infection models to identify mechanisms regulating cellular heterogeneity during infection and determine how this variability contributes to effective antibacterial immunity.

The project aims to elucidate the regulation and function of cellular heterogeneity in innate immune responses to bacterial infection. Although genetically identical immune cells are exposed to the same pathogen and environment, they often display remarkably diverse responses. Emerging evidence suggests that such heterogeneity is not simply biological noise, but may represent an important mechanism controlling infection outcomes.

Using the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model system, we will investigate how infection reshapes transcriptional variability and signalling networks in macrophages and how these changes influence pathogen control and dissemination. The project combines experimental infection biology, single-cell genomics, advanced imaging, and quantitative modelling to understand immune responses across cellular and tissue scales.

Emphasis will be placed on integrating data from human PBMC-derived macrophages and complementary mouse infection models to identify mechanisms regulating cellular heterogeneity during infection and determine how this variability contributes to effective antibacterial immunity.

The project aims to elucidate the regulation and function of cellular heterogeneity in innate immune responses to bacterial infection. Although genetically identical immune cells are exposed to the same pathogen and environment, they often display remarkably diverse responses. Emerging evidence suggests that such heterogeneity is not simply biological noise, but may represent an important mechanism controlling infection outcomes.

Using the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model system, we will investigate how infection reshapes transcriptional variability and signalling networks in macrophages and how these changes influence pathogen control and dissemination. The project combines experimental infection biology, single-cell genomics, advanced imaging, and quantitative modelling to understand immune responses across cellular and tissue scales.

Emphasis will be placed on integrating data from human PBMC-derived macrophages and complementary mouse infection models to identify mechanisms regulating cellular heterogeneity during infection and determine how this variability contributes to effective antibacterial…