Marcin A. Kurek

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.

PhD opportunities are mentioned in this post, including a Structural Microbiology PhD at the University of Bern and a separate PhD opening at WULS-SGGW . University of Bern PhD: Structural Microbiology The Zuber lab at the Institute of Anatomy is recruiting a PhD student as part of the SNSF Sinergia consortium DISPERSE . The project focuses on bacterial virulence rather than the bacteria themselves, using single-particle cryo-EM and cryo-electron tomography to determine high-resolution structures of Clostridium beta-pore-forming toxins , both alone and in complex with rationally designed peptide inhibitors. The work is in close collaboration with Jean-Louis Reymond (peptide design and cheminformatics) and Horst Posthaus (Institute of Animal Pathology, in vivo validation). Eligibility highlights : an MSc in life science, biochemistry, biophysics, biomedical engineering, or a related field; fluency in English; prior protein biochemistry experience is a strong asset; background in structural biology, electron microscopy, image analysis, or programming is welcome. Timeline : start date is 1 August 2026 or by arrangement; application deadline is 12 June 2026 . A full application link is provided in the post. WULS-SGGW PhD A second PhD position is open at WULS-SGGW on plant-based foods and novel dietary fiber sources , supervised by Prof. Marcin A. Kurek . The stated requirement is at least 2 publications as first or corresponding author. Contact email: [email protected] . This post is useful for candidates interested in structural biology, microbiology, cryo-EM, peptide inhibitors, food science, nutrition, and plant-based food research .