Thinking of doing your PhD in the Life Sciences? The International PhD Programme (IPP) Mainz is offering talented scientists the chance to work on cutting edge research projects within the open call on “Molecular Mechanisms in Genome Stability & Gene Regulation”. As an IPP PhD student, you will join a community of exceptional scientists working on diverse topics ranging from how organisms age or how our DNA is repaired, to how epigenetics regulates cellular identity or neural memory. The research group of Siyao Wang offers the following PhD project: DNA damage poses a significant threat to genome stability, chromosomal integrity, and cellular function. Transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) defects can cause growth and mental retardation, photosensitivity, and premature aging in Cockayne syndrome (CS) patients. Chromatin serves as a platform for DNA repair and undergoes dynamic changes during the DNA damage response (DDR) through the Access-Repair-Restore model. Histones, an essential component of chromatin, are post-translationally modified via methylation, ubiquitination, and acetylation to regulate DDR-related chromatin functions. Many histone modifications leave long-term epigenetic memory in cells and can be transmitted across generations, raising the possibility that DNA damage can reshape the epigenome in damaged cells and affect their descendants. Due to the complexity of human epigenetics, we used C. elegans as a model to study the role of histone modifications on genome stability, longevity, and transgenerational inheritance. PhD Project: Transgenerational epigenetic memory of paternal DNA damage The transgenerational effect of DNA damage has been previously studied through epidemiological and genetic approaches, but these have yielded contradictory results. Recently, we identified a novel mechanism that underlies the transgenerational genetic and epigenetic effects of paternal DNA damage. Using sex-separated C. elegans strains, we found that paternal, but not maternal, exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) leads to transgenerational embryonic lethality. This lethality is caused by the persistence of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the F1 generation, where a highly enriched heterochromatin structure blocks the accessibility of homologous recombination (HR) repair machinery. This project will investigate how DNA damage in sperm alters the epigenome of the offspring, and whether these changes in the epigenome can affect genome stability and longevity of the subsequent generations. Via answering these questions, we aim to identify potential therapeutic approaches to improve the genome stability of the worms carrying paternally inherited DNA DSBs. If you are interested in this project, please select Wang as your group preference in the IPP application platform. Are you an ambitious scientist looking to push the boundaries of research while interacting with colleagues from multiple disciplines and cultures? Then joining the IPP is your opportunity to give your scientific career a flying start! All you need is: Master or equivalent Interactive personality & good command of English 2 letters of reference We offer Exciting, interdisciplinary projects in a lively international environment, with English as our working language Advanced training in scientific techniques and professional skills Access to our state-of-the-art Core Facilities and their technical expertise Fully funded positions with financing until the completion of your thesis A lively community of more than 200 PhD students from 44 different countries For more details on the projects offered and how to apply via the online form. The deadline for applications is 16 October 2025. Interviews will take place at IMB in Mainz on 19 & 20 January 2026. Starting date: 1 February - 1 July 2026