Job Information
- Organisation/Company: CEITEC MU
- Research Field: Biological sciences; Chemistry » Biochemistry
- Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2026 - 21:50 (UTC)
- Country: Czech Republic
- Type of Contract: Temporary
- Job Status: Full-time
- Offer Starting Date: 1 Feb 2027
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Offer Description
Doctoral study program: Life Sciences
Supervisor: prof. Mgr. Richard Štefl, Ph.D.
Topic title: When Immune Systems Join Forces: Structural Basis of Cooperative Prokaryotic Immunity
Annotation
Every organism faces a constant battle against invading genetic elements such as viruses and plasmids. To survive, bacteria and archaea have evolved a remarkable diversity of immune systems that detect and eliminate foreign DNA. Traditionally, these systems have been studied as independent defense mechanisms. However, recent discoveries suggest that some immune systems cooperate, forming more complex defense networks capable of responding to a broader range of threats.
One particularly intriguing example is provided by prokaryotic Argonaute proteins (pAgos), programmable nucleic-acid recognition factors found throughout bacteria and archaea. While some pAgos directly destroy invading DNA, many are genetically associated with proteins belonging to entirely different immune pathways. Why these systems became linked during evolution and how they cooperate at the molecular level remains unknown.
This PhD project will investigate how Argonaute proteins interact with partner immune systems to create novel defense strategies. Using state-of-the-art electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM), the student will determine structures of immune complexes captured at different stages of substrate recognition, remodeling, and processing. These structural studies will be complemented by biochemical, biophysical, microbiological, and evolutionary analyses performed in collaboration with leading international laboratories.
A particular focus will be understanding how catalytically inactive Argonautes have evolved into programmable regulators of partner immune proteins and how such cooperation increases the complexity and robustness of microbial immunity. By visualizing molecular machines in action and uncovering their dynamic mechanisms, the student will reveal fundamental principles governing the evolution and organization of immune systems.
The project sits at the interface of structural biology, microbiology, evolutionary biology, and biophysics, providing training in cryo-EM, protein biochemistry, computational structural biology, and molecular mechanism discovery.
Join us to uncover how evolution creates new immune systems by combining existing ones into more powerful defense machines.
Recommended literature
- Koopal B. et al. Diverse prokaryotic Argonaute-associated immune systems. Science (2023).
- Ugarte R. et al. Molecular mechanisms of Argonaute-associated defense systems. Mol Cell (2025).
- Makarova KS et al. Evolutionary classification of CRISPR-Cas systems. Nat Rev Microbiol (2020).
- Swarts DC et al. Prokaryotic Argonautes: mechanisms and biological roles. Nat Rev Microbiol.
- Finocchio G. et al. Cooperation between prokaryotic immune systems.
Research area: Microbial immunity and nucleic-acid biology
Keywords: Prokaryotic immunity; Argonaute proteins; CRISPR-Cas; Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM); Structural biology; Molecular evolution; Host–virus interactions; Cooperative immune systems; Protein–DNA interactions
Funding of the PhD candidate: GACR, OP JAK
In the academic year 2026/27 the net income of the CEITEC PhD School student is expected to be at least CZK 29,400 (approx. EUR 1215)
Requirements for candidate
Biochemistry/molecular biology/structural biology
Information about the supervisor
Prof. Richard Stefl is a leading structural biologist whose lab combines cryo-EM, NMR, and integrative structural biology to uncover how RNA–protein complexes control gene expression and cellular regulation. As an ERC grant holder and head of the CEITEC Centre for Structural Biology, he offers PhD students access to cutting-edge technologies, interdisciplinary mentoring, and an inspiring environment at the forefront of RNA biology and molecular mechanisms of gene silencing.
2 PhD students
11 absolvents
Research group info https://stefl-lab.ceitec.cz/
Start date: February 2027 or sooner
Sign-up link: https://www.ceitec.eu/when-immune-systems-join-forces-structural-basis-of-cooperative-prokaryotic-immunity/t11797
Where to apply
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: CEITEC MU
- Country: Czech Republic
- City: Brno
- Postal Code: 625 00
- Street: Kamenice 753/5
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