"PhD position in biocatalytic cascades in MSCA-DN HaloVerse (DC11)"

Job Description

Researchers at GRIP strive to find new and innovative drugs and therapies and wish to improve the use of existing drugs. Bridging the gap between the fundamental natural sciences (such as chemistry and physics) and the medical/clinical sciences in the field of medicinal products is one of the core activities of the institute. The CPB Department is represented by an enthusiastic group of researchers from different parts of the world. The cell as producer and target for pharmaceuticals is the main part of the research at CBP. Prof. Schmidt’s research group (http://schmidt-researchgroup.com) offers a multicultural, inclusive and interdisciplinary research environment that integrates synthetic biology with protein engineering and biocatalysis. The team maintains strong national and international collaborations (both academic and industrial) focusing on translational research and industrially relevant applications. Their work centers on gaining fundamental insights into enzyme mechanisms and functions, with the ultimate goal of using biocatalysts to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients through scalable and sustainable enzymatic synthesis.

Please upload applications only according to instructions at www.haloverse.eu/recruitment and not through this website.

What are you going to do?

The main part of your PhD research (4 years in total) will be carried out at the University of Groningen (RUG, The Netherlands) under the supervision of Prof. Sandy Schmidt in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology at the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy. Within these four years, an academic research stay (of 12 months) will take place at the University of Bern (UniBe, Switzerland) under the supervision of Prof. Francesca Paradisi. Additionally, an industrial secondment at the company AstraZeneca (SE) is foreseen. The Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – Doctoral Network (DN) project starts in January 2026. The date of recruitment and start of the PhD project is planned for April 2026 and latest in December 2026. Your PhD degree (so-called double degree) will be awarded based on successful completion of the research work from two universities (RUG, The Netherlands and University of Bern, Switzerland). You will also be required to participate in the training events and workshops organized by the DN- Joint Doctorates (JD) program. As a MSCA fellow, you are also expected to contribute your time in the dissemination of your PhD project’s result through public engagement and other scientific platforms.

The PhD research will focus on:

• Interdisciplinary project on enzyme engineering, (flow)biocatalysis, and chemistry.
• Identification and characterization of enzymes for cascade towards functionalised N-heterocycles.
• Investigation of different cascade modes.
• Enzyme engineering of biocatalysts for higher activity and stability.
• Enzyme immobilization, scale-up and demonstration studies in a bioreactor (academic secondment).
• Application of functionalised N-heterocycles in drug discovery platform (industrial secondment).

Primary supervisor: Prof. Sandy Schmidt (s.schmidt@rug.nl)
Secondary supervisor: Prof. Francesca Paradisi (francesca.paradisi@unibe.ch)
Recruiting institution: University of Groningen (Groningen, the Netherlands)
Double degree awarding institution: University of Bern (Bern, Switzerland)

Requirements

• An outstanding MSc degree in Chemistry, Biological chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field.
• Eligible as a graduate student at the University of Groningen (the Netherlands) and the University of Bern (Switzerland).
• Research experience in organic chemistry, analytical methods (HPLC, GC, MS, NMR etc.), enzyme purification and assays, experience in bioreactor use is a plus.
• Ability to work in an international team.
• Inter- and multidisciplinary thinking.
• High motivation.
• An integrative and cooperative personality with excellent communication and social skills.
• Fluency in English – written and oral.

Conditions of Employment

What can you expect from us?
232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

Employer

University of Groningen
At the University of Groningen (RUG), researchers across all branches of science and technology work on scientific challenges and societal issues. Lecturers train their students for meaningful careers in science or beyond. Interdisciplinary research and education, knowledge sharing, and collaboration with companies, government institutions, and societal organizations are highly valued at this top 100 university. RUG aims to be an open academic community with an inclusive and safe working environment that invites you to contribute your value.

Department
Faculty of Science and Engineering
The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) provides teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy. In close collaboration with partners from industry, healthcare, and society, we contribute to the urgent challenges of our time, such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. Our community is open and informal, with more than 7,000 students, 1,000 PhD students, and 1,400 staff members from all over the world. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, visit rug.nl/fse.
The position we offer will be embedded in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) within the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology (CBP, https://www.rug.nl/research/grip/cpb/)

Additional Information

Do you have any questions or need more information?
Questions about the content of the job? Sandy Schmidt (Associate Professor): s.schmidt@rug.nl
Questions about your application process? Sandy Schmidt (Associate Professor): s.schmidt@rug.nl

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