J000000409 Phd Student

**PhD student (M/F/d) in RNA biology in infection** Job-ID: J000000409 Working hours: Part time Schedule: 65% Location: Düsseldorf Start date: earliest possible date Payment group: EGr. 13 TV-L Organization: Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät Job Category: Research and Development Main tasks: Fungal pathogens pose serious threats to public health and agriculture. They can even be responsible for the extinction of species, thereby shaping whole ecosystems. For their defeat, it is vital to uncover their infection strategies. Thereby, their Achilles’ heel can be identified for the development of novel fungicides. We investigate the role of RNA-binding proteins during pathogenic development of the plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis (Sankaranarayanan 2023, PloS Path). We discovered that the multi-KH domain protein Khd4 is essential for infection. This RNA-binding protein regulates the stability of target mRNAs that function during regulation of intracellular membrane trafficking (Sankaranarayanan 2023, PNAS). The aim of this project is to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms. To this end we combine RNA biochemistry with microbial genetics and live cell observation. In particular, we aim to use innovative RNA proximity labelling approaches to understand regulation at the transcriptome-wide level. S. Sankaranarayanan$, S. Kwon$, K. Heimel, M. Feldbrügge (2023) The RNA world of fungal pathogens. PLoS Path, 30: e1011762. S. Sankaranarayanan, C. Haag, P. Petzsch, K. Köhrer, A. Matuszynska, K. Zarnack, M. Feldbrügge (2023) The mRNA stability factor Khd4 defines a specific mRNA regulon for membrane trafficking in the pathogen Ustilago maydis. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 120: e2301731120. Your Profile: - A Master degree in biology/biochemistry or related life sciences - Practical experience in molecular biology, biochemistry and/or microbiology - Experience in eukaryotic microorganisms, plant pathogens, RNA biochemistry and/or fluorescence microscopy is desirable - A strong motivation in experimental work, literature search and scientific writing - Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English and in communicating in an interdisciplinary research environment - Participation in teaching of microbiological courses is expected Our Offer: The employment is initially limited for a period of one year with an option for prolongation. It is a qualification position in the sense of the Act of Academic Fixed-Term Contract (Wissenschaftsvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG), which is to promote the scientific qualification of the employee. We offer an excellent research environment with state of the art reseach equipment and the opportunity to integrate into our research networks such as the Collaborative Research Centre SFB1535 "Microbial Networking", the Cluster of Excellence CEPLAS “Smart Plants”, and the Graduate School "Molecules of Infection". The pay grade is 13 TV-L 65%. Our Benefits: Company pension grant; Good transport connection; Free parking; Flexitime; Working from home; International work; Traveling; Union rates About us: The Institute of Microbiology is part of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences HHUD, and follows three pillars of research and education: 1. Microbial RNA biology 2. Microbial Interaction and 3. Microbial Biotechnology. Therefore, we cover broad research interest for optimal training and development of PhD students. We do have ample experience in graduate education including soft skill courses like “good scientific practise”, “project coordination” and “scientific writing”. Heinrich Heine University upholds the principle of "Excellence through Diversity". It has signed the "Diversity Charter" and successfully participated in the Stifterverband's audit "Shaping Diversity". It is certified as a family-friendly university and has set itself the goal of promoting diversity among its staff. Applications from people of all genders are expressly welcome. Applications from women will be given preferential consideration in accordance for a severe disability or equality to be taken into account, please provide evidence of this with suitable documents. Contact: Carola Leitsch 0211/81-14720 null