PhD Student (m/f/d)

The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (www.bnitm.de ) is the largest Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Germany and is the National Reference Centre for Tropical Pathogens, a WHO Collaborating Centre and member of the Leibniz Research Association.

In the research groupe Malaria Cell Biology of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg is looking for a highly motivated

PhD Student (m/f/d)

-65% EG 13 TV-AVH-

to study the cellular aspects of artemisinin resistance in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in a project funded as part of an ERC Advanced grant

Malaria kills several hundred thousand people each year. Artemisinin and its derivatives (ART) are the WHO recommended first line treatment option but resistance is jeopardising their usefulness. The disease causing blood stages of the parasite proliferate in human red blood cells where they internalise a large part of the host cell cytosol (mostly hemoglobin) in an endocytic process. ART are activated by degradation products the parasite generates from the internalised hemoglobin. We recently showed that a reduction in this process leads to ART resistance (Birnbaum et al., Science 2020) but also that this deprives the parasite of amino acids it obtains from the hemoglobin (Mesen-Ramirez et al., CellHost&Microbe 2021). In this ERC funded project (ERC-2020-ADV MALART) there is an exciting PhD project in the cell biology of malaria blood stage parasites to study endocytosis and its implications for ART resistance as well as the consequences the resistance mechanism has for the parasite. This exciting project is embedded in an international and vibrant research team and will use state of the art genetic manipulation of the parasite, conditional gene and protein targeting systems and a focus on microscopy.

Your profile:

• background in molecular and cellular biology
• ability to work independently and in a team
• organisational skills and capacity to prioritize
• good communicate skills in English, in both, oral and written form
• creativity and commitment to the research group
• enthusiams for cell biology

Our offer:

• an interesting and challenging project in a vibrant research lab
• integration into an open-minded and motivated team
• Comprehensive training in state-of-the-art genetic and microscopic techniques
• A structured PhD training program and opportunities for further education and training
• opportunities to participate in national and international conferences
• a central location at the Landungsbrücken, which is easily accessible by public transport
• flexible and family-friendly working hours
• childcare allowance
• subsidy for HVV-ProfiTicket
• company pension scheme
• Special conditions in selected sports and fitness clubs in Hamburg

Starting date will be as soon as possible and latest at the end of the year. The position is initially limited to 3 years and is remunerated with 65% E 13 TV-AVH-according to the rules of the public service under the TV-AVH (collective agreement of the “Arbeitsrechtliche Vereinigung Hamburg“).

As a member of the Diversity Charter , the largest diversity management network in Germany, we are also committed to making diversity an integral part of our institute culture. It is our goal to create a working environment that is free of prejudice.

We support our employees in achieving a work-life balance and promote the professional equality of women and men. We strive to assist women in their scientific career, increase the number of women in research and reduce under-representation in all areas and positions in general. We explicitly welcome applications from people with disabilities.

Please send your application containing (preferrably as a single pdf file):

• cover letter
• CV
• a maximally one page summary of background in molecular and cellular biology and motivation for working in our lab and on this project
• university certificates
• contact details of 2 references

Please send your application with the documents by 21.7.2022 preferably in electronic form via our online form .

If you have any questions regarding the application process or the selection procedure, please contact Katja Bünger from the Human Resources Department (buenger(at)bnitm.de ).

For further questions please contact Dr. Tobias Spielmann (spielmann(at)bnitm.de , phone: +49 40 42818-486), AG Spielmann.

www.bnitm.de