Institute of Medical Microbiology (Director: Prof. Dr. med. Jan Rupp)
The vaginal microbiome is one of the central components in the defence against sexually transmitted pathogens. While a homeostatic microbiome can prevent the establishment of an infection in the event of direct exposure to a pathogen, such as Chlamydia trachomatis, a dysbiosis in the vaginal microbiome increases the probability of becoming infected with the pathogen and subsequently suffering an infection-induced inflammatory reaction of the genital tract with serious consequences (including infertility). Modern clinical research approaches are needed to harness the potential of so-called colonization resistance against sexually transmitted pathogens for preventive and therapeutic methods. This project builds on an existing cohort of young women from whom biosamples for microbiome analyses have already been collected longitudinally over several years and information on the occurrence of sexually transmitted infections is also recorded. Individual isolates from those samples are available to test their ability to “colonization resistance”, i.e. the defence of a specific microbial niche, under various modifications by assembling artificial microbial consortia, and in different experimental models.
Join our team and support us from 01.09.2025 as a Post Doc (m/f/d) for “Colonization resistance to sexually transmitted chlamydial infection”. The position is initially limited to three years.
What We offer:
* Placement in pay group E13 TV-L, if you fulfil the requirements of the collective agreement
* Full-time employment, currently 38.5 hours / week; part-time employment may be possible within the framework of certain working time models
* Many attractive employee discounts on various online platforms and at various companies
* Discounted meals in the company canteen so that you are taken care of during your break
Your role:
* A modern scientific infrastructure as the basis for efficient scientific work and personal development
* Continuous development of novel experimental tissue culture/ organoid models, and up-to-date multi-omics techniques
* Interdisciplinary team of senior researchers from different disciplines and direct integration in projects funded by the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)
* PhD position directly assigned to the project and support from technical personal
Your qualifications:
* PhD degree in the field of life sciences with a particular research experience in infection and / or cell biology, immunology, biochemistry and / or microbiome research
* Successful track record documented by publications and if already available 3rd party funding
* Spontaneity and a high level of comprehension for working on new tasks at short notice in an interdisciplinary research environment Good communication skills in English
* Having an integrative personality with an enthusiasm for active participation in research
We look forward to receiving your application by 23.07.2025, quoting our job advertisement number 26615.