项目介绍

2026年5月29日

This PhD project, which is part of the Elite Network Bavaria-funded graduate college “The Proteomes that Feed the World” at the TUM School of Life Sciences, focuses on uncovering the functional landscape of defense-associated peptides in crop species.

The Elite Network Bavaria-funded graduate college “The Proteomes that Feed the World” at the School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), invites applications for:

Doctoral Candidate f/m/d in Plant Proteomics, Bioinformatics, and Biology

The graduate college “The Proteomes that Feed the World”:

Plants are the nutritional basis of life on Earth, and protein-rich plant foods are a global megatrend essential for sustaining a growing human population and counteracting climate change. However, little is known about crop proteomes – the entirety of proteins that execute and control nearly every aspect of life. Therefore, TUM pursues for the second time the visionary doctoral program with high socio-economic relevance on the topic of “The Proteomes that Feed the World” with the aims:

1. To train and develop future leaders in science, industry, and society who excel in research, management, and communication. This will be achieved by implementing a professional training and project management structure that enables doctoral candidates (DCs) to master challenging roles, take on substantial responsibility, and acquire important transferable skills.

2. To conduct studies with the proteome atlas of the 100 most important crop plants for human nutrition. This enables an interdisciplinary project that draws on leading expertise in plant science, proteomics, and bioinformatics. Added value comes from a large international network of excellent academic and industry partners as well as a vibrant local scientific community.

The project:

Peptides are short, biologically synthesized chains of amino acids that play central roles in a wide range of physiological processes. They can be arranged as linear chains or cycles, may carry post-translational modifications or stabilizing motifs, and have a variety of important physiological functions. In plants, bioactive peptides have been shown to contribute to cellular communication, coordinated growth, development, and responses to environmental challenges. This PhD project, based at the Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), focuses on uncovering the functional landscape of defense-associated peptides in crop species. The successful candidate will investigate how plant peptidomes adapt and respond to biotic and abiotic stressors, with particular emphasis on pathogen attack, elevated temperatures, and water limitation. Building on prior work in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, the project will leverage advanced mass spectrometry-based proteomics approaches to expand peptide discovery and characterization into agriculturally relevant crops. The overarching goal is to generate a molecular understanding of plant defense mechanisms mediated by bioactive peptides, contributing to the crop proteome atlas and enabling future strategies to improve plant resilience.

Requirements:

Candidates must hold an internationally recognized MSc degree in a life science discipline, such as analytical (bio-)chemistry, plant biology, or omics-related fields. A high interest in understanding technologies in proteomics research using mass spectrometers is expected. Essential skills include proficiency in biological and (bio)chemical concepts and some expertise in performing and analyzing proteomics or related omics experiments. Additional desirable skills include data mining, data integration, and statistical analysis in R or Python. We are looking for self-motivated and broadly interested individuals with a strong sense of responsibility. Flexibility and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment on multiple scientific and infrastructure projects are essential. Good intercultural and interpersonal communication skills, as well as the ability to communicate and present in English, are very important. We aim to recruit individuals with the highest potential, typically from the top 10% of an academic year.

Our offer:

You will join a young and interdisciplinary team of life scientists and bioinformaticians who use the latest proteomic approaches and equipment to better understand plant biology. TUM is one of the best academic institutions in Germany and offers a stimulating work environment and excellent future perspectives. The position will be available for four years (10/26 – 09/30). Remuneration is in accordance with TV-L E13, depending on the professional qualification.

Equal opportunity:

TUM aims to increase the proportion of women and therefore expressly welcomes applications from women. The position is also suitable for persons with disabilities, who will be given preference if their suitability, qualifications, and professional performance are otherwise essentially equal.

Application process:

Applicants should send a dossier containing a motivational statement (max. one page), a curriculum vitae summarizing qualifications and experience, copies of degrees and transcripts of study records, names and the email addresses of two referees as a single PDF document, and no later than 30 June 2026 to Dr. Christina Ludwig (tina.ludwig@tum.de). Online interviews will be conducted with selected candidates, and shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person interview in Freising. The successful candidate is asked to start on 1 October 2026.