PhD Position - Generation and Screening of Chemically Diverse Cyclic Peptide Libraries

Offer Description

JMU Würzburg

Project Title: Generation and Screening of Chemically Diverse Cyclic Peptide Libraries

Objectives:

1. Establish and evaluate cyclic peptide libraries in microarray format.
2. Screen and optimize cyclic β-catenin binders.
3. Produce prioritized cyclic peptide leads in preparative amounts for downstream studies.

Project Overview: A key challenge in peptide drug discovery is combining high affinity and specificity with compact size, stability, and cellular activity. Cyclization can improve these properties, but optimization requires efficient screening of chemically diverse peptide libraries. This project will develop and apply microarray-based cyclic peptide libraries to discover and optimize β-catenin binders. Sequence and cyclization-linker libraries will be combined directly during array production, enabling parallel evaluation of different cyclization chemistries. Additionally enzymatic cyclization approaches developed by EnzyTag will be applied on synthetic libraries. Using automated parallel synthesis and combinatorial array printing the number of cyclic peptide variants will be further increased and screened within a single campaign. Promising binders will be prioritized based on affinity, specificity, and cyclization-dependent improvements and synthesized in preparative amounts for downstream biophysical and cellular characterization. Contribution to the overall research program: Provides cyclic β-catenin binders with improved affinity, stability, and pharmacological properties and guides the selection of optimized leads for cellular studies.

Skills and research profile:

Experience with peptide or organic synthesis and peptide modification; protein handling in biochemical assays. Experience with macrocyclization, peptide libraries, or biophysical interaction analysis advantageous.

Salary: The position is funded by the Horizon Europe MSCA-DN project FlexCAT (Grant Agreement No. 101311592) for three years. The selected candidate will be offered a competitive salary comprising a Living Allowance (adjusted by the country correction coefficient), a Mobility Allowance, and, if applicable, a Family Allowance. All allowances are subject to applicable social security contributions and taxation.

Planned secondment: 1. Host: EnzyTag; Supervisor: Dr. Anna Koijen; Length: 3 months.

Purpose: Training in advanced peptide macrocyclization strategies and transfer of these approaches into high-throughput screening formats.

Enrolment in Doctoral degree(s): JMU Würzburg (Maric)

How to apply:
Applications are exclusively accepted through the Recruitment Portal (https://phd-recruiting.medunigraz.at/). The required information is specified in the recruitment portal and comprises:

• Motivation statement for selected DC projects
• Detailed CV; publication list if applicable
• BSc/MSc diplomas and academic transcripts/supplements
• Contact details for two referees

Applications will be assessed for eligibility and scientific/academic quality. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview. The final selection will follow the open, transparent and merit-based recruitment principles of MSCA.

Key dates:

• Applications open: 15 September 2026
• Applications close: 31 October 2026
• Online pre-interviews: early November 2026
• Final interviews: late November/early December 2026
• Decisions and offers: mid-December 2026
• Start: January 2027 – March 2027

Data protection statement
The personal data you provide as part of your application will be processed for the purposes necessary to administer the recruitment and selection process for the Doctoral Candidate position(s) for which you apply within the FlexCAT Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN). Access to your application will be restricted to individuals directly involved in the recruitment and selection process, including the recruiting beneficiary, members of the selection committee, and, where necessary, authorised representatives of the FlexCAT consortium. Personal data will be processed in accordance with the applicable data-protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), and the privacy policies of the recruiting beneficiary. Statistics for project reporting will be provided in anonymised or appropriately aggregated form.

Where to apply

Website: https://phd-recruiting.medunigraz.at/

Requirements

• Research Field: Chemistry
• Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

General criteria:

Applicants of any nationality are welcome to apply. To be eligible for recruitment as an MSCA Doctoral Candidate, applicants must fulfil the following criteria at the date of recruitment:

• Education – you do not hold a doctoral degree and hold (or will shortly complete) a science Master's degree (see individual project requirements), with excellent results, qualifying you for admission to the doctoral program of the respective host institution. The successful candidate must fulfil the admission requirements of the respective doctoral programme and will be enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project.
• Mobility - you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in recruiting beneficiary's country for more than 12 months during the 36 months before your recruitment. Compulsory national service, holidays/short stays and time spent obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention4 are not considered for this purpose.
• Language & communication – excellent command of spoken and written English (min. B2 level). Ability to communicate results clearly to diverse audiences, both in writing and verbally.
• Motivation – motivation for multidisciplinary, international doctoral research, hands-on experimental work, mandatory academic/industy secondment(s), to publish research findings in international journals, present results at conferences and contribute to project deliverables. Willingness to contribute to project network-wide activities, communication, training events, and dissemination efforts.
• Technical skills – specific to the individual DC project (see individual project descriptions).

Specific Requirements

Skills and research profile: Experience with peptide or organic synthesis and peptide modification; protein handling in biochemical assays. Experience with macrocyclization, peptide libraries, or biophysical interaction analysis advantageous.

• Languages: ENGLISH
• Level: Excellent
• Research Field: Chemistry
• Years of Research Experience: 1 - 4

Additional Information

Selection process

Applications will be assessed for eligibility and scientific/academic quality. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview. The final selection will follow the open, transparent and merit-based recruitment principles of MSCA.

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: JMU Würzburg
• Country: Germany

Contact

• City: Würzburg
• Website: https://phd-recruiting.medunigraz.at/