MSCA Doctoral Network PhD position: Generation and Screening of Chemically Diverse Cyclic Peptide Libraries JMU Würzburg in Germany

MSCA Doctoral Network PhD position at JMU Würzburg

This PhD project is part of the Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network FlexCAT and focuses on the generation and screening of chemically diverse cyclic peptide libraries. The position is hosted at JMU Würzburg in Germany and is centered on peptide drug discovery, with a strong emphasis on improving the affinity, specificity, stability, and cellular activity of cyclic peptides.

The project aims to establish and evaluate cyclic peptide libraries in microarray format, screen and optimize cyclic β-catenin binders, and produce prioritized peptide leads in preparative amounts for downstream biophysical and cellular studies. A key feature is the combination of sequence and cyclization-linker libraries during array production, enabling parallel testing of multiple cyclization chemistries. In addition, enzymatic cyclization approaches developed by EnzyTag will be applied to synthetic libraries, and automated parallel synthesis plus combinatorial array printing will expand the number of variants screened in a single campaign.

The research is highly relevant for peptide therapeutic discovery and chemical biology. Successful binders will be prioritized according to affinity, specificity, and cyclization-dependent performance improvements. These candidates will then be synthesized at preparative scale for follow-up characterization, contributing to the selection of optimized leads for cellular studies and future pharmacological development.

The ideal candidate should have experience in peptide or organic synthesis and peptide modification, along with protein handling in biochemical assays. Experience with macrocyclization, peptide libraries, or biophysical interaction analysis is advantageous. The post is open to applicants of any nationality, provided they meet MSCA mobility rules and doctoral candidate eligibility requirements. A science Master’s degree with excellent results is required, and excellent English communication skills at minimum B2 level are expected.

Funding is provided for three years under the MSCA-DN project FlexCAT (Grant Agreement No. 101311592). The selected candidate will receive a competitive salary that includes a Living Allowance, Mobility Allowance, and, where applicable, a Family Allowance, subject to taxation and social security contributions.

There is a planned secondment to EnzyTag for three months, supervised by Dr. Anna Koijen, focusing on advanced peptide macrocyclization strategies and their transfer to high-throughput screening formats.

Applications are handled exclusively via the Recruitment Portal at https://phd-recruiting.medunigraz.at/. The deadline is 31 October 2026, with the project expected to start between January 2027 and March 2027. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview following eligibility and scientific/academic quality assessment.