At the Institute of Pharmacy, Working Group Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, which belongs to the University of Greifswald’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, there is a job vacancy, subject to the allocation of funds, expected to be available from 01 October 2025, for a part-time position (65 %) as

Research Assistant.

The position is limited until 30 June 2029. Payment will be made in accordance with pay group 13 TV-L Wissenschaft. 

We are seeking highly motivated candidates for the newly established Collaborative Research Centre “CONCENTRATE”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). CONCENTRATE combines expertise from the University of Greifswald, the University of Bremen, the MPI for Marine Microbiology Bremen, the MPI of Colloids and Interfaces Potsdam, the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research and the Technical University of Berlin. The research programme of CONCENTRATE aims to decipher the molecular and microbial processes that lead to the stabilisation of glycans in the ocean. In an interdisciplinary approach, the research team combines laboratory experiments with measurements in natural marine habitats. The focus is on the interactions between algae, bacteria, fungi and their glycans and proteins, examined at an atomic level in the Ångström range. Exploring these fundamental microbiological and biochemical mechanisms will improve our understanding of carbon fluxes in the oceans.

You will work on the Collaborative Research Centre’s subproject TRAP (B02). This project investigates glycan-binding proteins on the surface of bacteria to understand why some glycans can escape this trap and contribute to carbon sequestration. We hypothesise that non-catalytic glycan-binding proteins, which represent the initial step in glycan utilisation, constitute a bottleneck in substrate acquisition, thereby limiting degradation. The B02 TRAP project aims to provide a detailed insight into sugar-ligand binding and its limitations. You will use various methods to study protein-glycan interactions, work closely with the Biological Station in Roscoff (France) and be part of an interdisciplinary network that brings together other doctoral candidates.

Tasks:

• Production and purification of proteins
• Analysis of glycan binding: affinity gel electrophoresis and isothermal titration calorimetry
• Structural analyses of protein-glycan complexes, multimodular proteins and protein complexes: X-ray crystallography and small-angle X-ray scattering as well as methods of protein mass spectrometry
• Bioinformatic analyses
• Presentation of scientific results
• Preparation of scientific publications
• The position provides the opportunity for academic qualification; tasks will be assigned that are conducive to the preparation of a doctorate

Required:

• M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) in either biology/biochemistry/pharmacy or another related discipline by the time employment starts
• Experience with a wide range of scientific approaches of experimental microbiology and biochemistry or structural biology
• Excellent English language skills
• Willingness to spend time abroad at the Roscoff Biological Station (France)

Desired:

• Strong interest in basic research related to marine microbiology and biochemistry
• High level of motivation and exceptional qualifications for actively joining an interdisciplinary research and training environment
• Ability to work independently with hands-on mentality, team spirit, helpfulness and reliability

This vacancy is open to all persons, irrespective of gender. Severely disabled applicants with the same qualifications will be considered with preference.

In accordance with § 68(3) PersVG M-V, the Staff Council will only be involved in staff matters of the academic or artistic staff on request.

Unfortunately, application costs (e.g. travel expenses for interviews) will not be reimbursed by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 

Please note that by submitting your application, you provide your consent pursuant to data protection law for our processing of your application data. Further information about the legal bases and the use of your data can be found here.

Applications comprising all usual documents must be sent with reference to the job advertisement number 25/Wi23by 31 July 2025, preferably via email (one PDF file), to:

Universität Greifswald
Institut für Pharmazie
Dr. Marie-Katherin Zühlke
Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Str. 17
17489 Greifswald

marie-katherin.zuehlke@uni-greifswald.de