Horst Posthaus

PhD opportunity in Structural Microbiology at the University of Bern The Zuber lab at the Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, is recruiting a PhD student for the SNSF Sinergia consortium DISPERSE . The project focuses on bacterial virulence and anti-virulence strategies, specifically the structural characterization of Clostridium β-pore-forming toxins and their complexes with rationally designed peptide inhibitors. The research combines single-particle cryo-EM and cryo-electron tomography with peptide design and cheminformatics, in close collaboration with Prof. Jean-Louis Reymond and Prof. Horst Posthaus. The work sits at the interface of structural biology , biochemistry , biophysics , electron microscopy , and host-pathogen interaction . Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold an MSc/Master’s degree in life science, biochemistry, biophysics, biomedical engineering, or a related field. Fluency in English is required. Experience in protein biochemistry (recombinant expression and purification) is a strong advantage, and backgrounds in structural biology, image analysis, or programming are welcome. Funding: the position is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Sinergia project DISPERSE). It is a full-time, fixed-term PhD position with an annual gross salary of CHF 50,042 for 2026 (including the 13th month salary). Application deadline: 12 June 2026. Start date: 1 August 2026 or by arrangement. How to apply: prepare a CV, publication list, statement of experience, motivation letter, letters of reference, and contact details for three referees. Submit the application by email to Prof. Benoît Zuber and consult the job page for full instructions.

PhD opportunities in structural microbiology and plant-based foods/dietary fiber 1) University of Bern, Switzerland — PhD in Structural Microbiology The Zuber lab at the Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern is recruiting a PhD student as part of the SNSF Sinergia consortium DISPERSE. The project focuses on bacterial virulence, specifically Clostridium beta-pore-forming toxins, and uses single-particle cryo-EM and cryo-electron tomography to determine high-resolution structures of toxins alone and in complex with rationally designed peptide inhibitors. The work is carried out in close collaboration with Jean-Louis Reymond (peptide design and cheminformatics) and Horst Posthaus (Institute of Animal Pathology, in vivo validation). Applicants should have an MSc in life science, biochemistry, biophysics, biomedical engineering, or a related field. Fluency in English is required. Prior experience in protein biochemistry, especially recombinant expression and purification, is a strong asset. Background in structural biology, electron microscopy, image analysis, or programming is welcome. Start date: 1 August 2026 or by arrangement. Application deadline: 12 June 2026. Full details and application are available via the linked application page. 2) WULS-SGGW — PhD position in plant-based foods and novel dietary fiber sources A second PhD opening is mentioned at WULS-SGGW with Prof. Marcin A. Kurek as supervisor. The topic is plant-based foods and novel dietary fiber sources. The stated requirement is at least 2 publications as first or corresponding author. Contact email: [email protected]. Keywords: structural microbiology, cryo-EM, cryo-electron tomography, bacterial virulence, protein biochemistry, structural biology, electron microscopy, peptide inhibitors, cheminformatics, plant-based foods, dietary fiber, food science.