Join us in shaping the future at the intersection of life sciences and engineering. The structured Graduate School Life Science Engineering at TU Darmstadt is seeking excellent international PhD students to join the EU MSCA-COFUND program trainLSE. Following a successful first call, we are now opening the second call for applications and invite highly motivated and talented candidates to become part of our vibrant research community. Biophotonics Group, Prof. Dr. Torsten Frosch: The PhD projects focus on innovative Raman-spectroscopic techniques for drug monitoring in biofluids, gas sensing, and biomedical imaging. We work at the interface between physics, chemistry, engineering and life sciences. Our goal is to research and develop novel optical spectroscopic techniques for highly relevant biomedical and life science applications. Gas Sensing: In this project, we are researching novel, highly sensitive and selective Raman spectroscopic gas measurement techniques. An important focus of the project is research into innovative signal enhancement mechanisms in order to detect even trace gases with the lowest concentrations. With our developments in fiber-enhanced (FERS) and cavity-enhanced (CERS) Raman gas spectroscopy, we are at the forefront of international research. Highly sensitive Raman gas spectroscopy is an extremely promising method for the analysis of breath biomarkers and thus for early, non-invasive disease diagnostics and therapy monitoring. Biomedical Imaging: The project investigates new parallelized techniques for rapid chemical imaging of biomedical processes. We are building on our work on fiber-based Raman spectroscopic imaging to generate high-resolution molecule-specific images of biomedical samples. These images can provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of disease, the diagnosis of pathologies, and the evaluation of therapies. Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive, non-contact, label-free and quantitative method that can be used in physiological environments with no further sample preparation and is therefore excellently suited for biomedical applications. Drug Monitoring in Biofluids: The project focuses on innovative Raman spectroscopic techniques for rapid and label-free monitoring of disease biomarkers and drug levels in body fluids. The focus lies on research into signal enhancement techniques for highly sensitive Raman spectroscopy of active pharmaceutical ingredients. An important goal of the project is to enable rapid therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) at the point-of-care in order to achieve personalized treatment for individual patients. In the future, these developments will enable the efficient treatment of critical illnesses without the risk of treatment failure and without serious side effects. Please read the application requirements and selection process carefully BEFORE applying. Eligibility criteria Applicants must not be in the possession of a doctoral degree An excellent Master degree in life sciences or engineering disciplines, obtained no more than 5 years ago Applicants must not have been resident in Germany for more than 12 months in the last three years before application deadline (exceptions: compulsory military service, refugee status) ? Applicants finishing their Master’s after the deadline may still apply. In this case, upload your Bachelor’s certificate instead. Application requirements Applications must be submitted exclusively via the online form. Email submissions will not be considered. Required documents CV Motivation letter BSc and MSc certificates and transcripts at least two references (contact details) proof of English proficiency (certificate, university confirmationm or prior academic work in English) We strongly encourage applicants to submit their own research proposal️. Full-time employment contract form TUDa, co-funded by the EU until the end of the program in March 2029 International and structured PhD program Interdisciplinary supervision and research environment Extracurricular seminars and training for developing transferable skills Mobility grant for conducting research abroad