This PhD position at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Faculty of Biology offers an exciting opportunity to investigate marsupial brain development using cutting-edge cerebral organoid technology. The project, supervised by Prof. Dr David Keays, aims to address the gap in our understanding of vertebrate brain development by focusing on marsupials, specifically koalas and kangaroos. Traditionally, most research in this field has relied on rodent models, but recent advances now allow for the generation of cerebral organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The successful candidate will create iPSCs from koala and kangaroo fibroblasts and use these to generate 3D cellular models of the brain. The research will explore the differences between the smooth (lissencephalic) koala brain and the highly folded (gyrified) kangaroo brain, with a particular focus on the number and type of neuronal progenitors. The student will gain expertise in cellular reprogramming, cell culture, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, single cell sequencing, and histological methods. The project is funded by LSM-CSC/ DAAD-GSSP (LSM), and applications should be submitted via the Graduate School Life Science Munich (LSM) online portal. The ideal candidate will be passionate, adventurous, and intellectually curious, with a background in biology or a related discipline. For more information, applicants are encouraged to contact Prof. Dr David Keays and visit the research group website.