MSCA Doctoral Network PhD position: Generation and Screening of Chemically Diverse Cyclic Peptide Libraries

Organisation/Company JMU Würzburg Research Field Chemistry » Biochemistry Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Final date to receive applications 31 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Vienna) Country Germany Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number  Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

Yes

JMU Würzburg
Project

Title:

Generation and Screening of Chemically Diverse Cyclic Peptide Libraries

Objectives:

• Establish and evaluate cyclic peptide libraries in microarray format.
• Screen and optimize cyclic β-catenin binders.
• Produce prioritized cyclic peptide leads in preparative amounts for downstream studies.

Project Overview: A key challenge in peptide drug discovery is combining high affinity and specificity with compact size, stability, and cellular activity. Cyclization can improve these properties, but optimization requires efficient screening of chemically diverse peptide libraries. This project will develop and apply microarray-based cyclic peptide libraries to discover and optimize β-catenin binders. Sequence and cyclization-linker libraries will be combined directly during array production, enabling parallel evaluation of different cyclization chemistries.

Additionally enzymatic cyclization approaches developed by Enzy Tag will be applied on synthetic libraries. Using automated parallel synthesis and combinatorial array printing the number of cyclic peptide variants will be further increased and screened within a single campaign. Promising binders will be prioritized based on affinity, specificity, and cyclization-dependent improvements and synthesized in preparative amounts for downstream biophysical and cellular characterization.

Contribution to the overall research program:
Provides cyclic β-catenin binders with improved affinity, stability, and pharmacological properties and guides the selection of optimized leads for cellular studies.

Skills and research profile:

Experience with peptide or organic synthesis and peptide modification; protein handling in biochemical assays. Experience with macrocyclization, peptide libraries, or biophysical interaction analysis advantageous.

Salary:
The position is funded by the Horizon Europe MSCA-DN project FlexCAT (Grant Agreement No. ) for three years. The selected candidate will be offered a competitive salary comprising a Living Allowance (adjusted by the country correction coefficient), a Mobility Allowance, and, if applicable, a Family Allowance. All allowances are subject to applicable social security contributions and taxation.

Planned secondment:
1. Host:
Enzy Tag;
Supervisor:
Dr. Anna Koijen;
Length: 3 months.

Purpose:

Training in advanced peptide macrocyclization strategies and transfer of these approaches into high-throughput screening formats.

• Applications open: 15 September 2026
• Applications close: 31 October 2026
• Online pre-interviews: early November 2026
• Final interviews: late November/early December 2026
• Decisions and offers: mid-December 2026
• Start:
  January 2027 – March 2027

Data protection statement
The personal data you provide as part of your application will be processed for the purposes necessary to administer the recruitment and selection process for the Doctoral Candidate position(s) for which you apply within the FlexCAT Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN). Access to your application will be restricted to individuals directly involved in the recruitment and selection process, including the recruiting beneficiary, members of the selection committee, and, where necessary,…