PhD Student Position for the DKTK Joint Funding Project "BACTORG: Organoid co-cultures of the Cancer Microbiome"

Kennziffer: 2025-0271

  • München
  • Full-time
  • DKTK partner site Munich - Institute of Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, TUM

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is one of Europe’s largest cancer research centers. “Research for a life without cancer" is the mission of our world-class scientists and all our team members.

The DKFZ is a place where the brightest minds pursue bold ideas and seek answers to pioneering scientific questions through collaboration, innovation, and exploration across many disciplines. We provide a dynamic environment which empowers excellence with state-of-the-art technologies, cutting edge infrastructure, and a global scientific network. 

Contribute your knowledge, vision, and dedication to create a space where scientific discovery in cancer research is transformed into benefits for human health.


Together with university partners at seven renowned partner sites, we have established the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK).

The Institute of Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy (headed by Prof. Dr. Dieter Saur) at the DKTK partner site Munich is offering for the next possible date a

The Saur Lab is deploying advanced organoid co-culture systems and in vivo models in combination with cell state and mutation reporters and single-cell technologies with spatial readouts to study the impact of intestinal microbes and their metabolites on colon cancer initiation, progression and therapy response. Our lab has generated a comprehensive resource of cancer specimens and primary organoid cell cultures, which have been characterized at the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels to elucidate the molecular makeup and phenotypes of these tumors. The advertised project focuses on a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms by which bacterial species and their metabolites impact mutation accumulation, signaling, and therapy response of colon cancer subtypes. For this, we will make use of sophisticated co-culture models including bacteria and bacterial culture supernatants, coupled to a variety of functional and phenotypic assays. Findings from these studies will be validated in vivo in animal models and incorporated into an integrated analysis framework relating the experimental data back to clinical datasets.
We are an enthusiastic and international team and offer intensive training and mentoring.

 

Ihre Aufgaben: 

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

  • Gain important insights into clinically relevant aspects of cancer development and therapy
  • Perform state-of-the-art in vitro organoid and in vivo experiments with single-cell readouts
  • Apply a wide spectrum of genetic, molecular, and cell biology, biochemical as well as micobial and bioinformatics techniques to study translational aspects of colon cancer (e.g., Cre/loxP and Flp/FRT-based dual and triple recombinase systems, orthotopic organoid transplantations, CRISPR/Cas9, quantitative proteomics/phosphoproteomics, multiple transcriptomics and genomics approaches, single-cell sequencing and imaging, histocytometry)
  • Use advanced bioinformatics platforms for the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets and integrate these datasets with existing molecular (WES, WGBS, lcWGS), phenotypic (e.g., histology), drug screening, and clinical information 
  • Interact within a diverse and multidisciplinary environment of biologists, clinicians, computational scientists, and mathematicians within the TranslaTUM

Ihr Profil:

We are looking for exceptional, self-motivated, bright individuals with a diploma or master’s degree in bioinformatics, biochemistry, biology, molecular/translational medicine, or related subjects. Previous exposure to and experience with basic biochemical and molecular biology techniques, proteomics, or bioinformatics, as well as interest in molecular aspects of cancer research, are essential. Due to the interdisciplinary framework and close collaboration between wet-lab and computational scientists, good communicative skills in English are essential. German language skills are not required.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application in a PDF file with CV, cover letter, certificates, and letters of recommendation via our online application tool.

Unser Angebot:

  • Hervorragende Rahmenbedingungen: modernste state-of-the-art Infrastruktur und Möglichkeit zum internationalen Austausch auf Spitzenniveau
  • Zugang zu internationalen Forschungs-Netzwerken
  • Doktorandengehalt mit den üblichen Sozialleistungen
  • 30 Tage Urlaub
  • Flexible Arbeitszeiten
  • Möglichkeit zur Teilzeitarbeit
  • Familienfreundliches Arbeitsumfeld
  • Nachhaltig zur Arbeit: Vergünstigtes Deutschland-Jobticket
  • Entfalten Sie Ihr volles Potenzial: gezieltes Training und Mentoring durch das DKFZ International PhD Program und den DKFZ Career Service
  • Unser betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement bietet ein ganzheitliches Angebot für Ihr Wohlbefinden

Sie sind interessiert?

Dann werden auch Sie Teil des DKFZ und tragen gemeinsam mit uns zu einem Leben ohne Krebs bei!
Ihre Ansprechperson:
Prof. Dr. Dieter Saur
Telefon: +49 89 4140 9130
Befristung: Die Stelle ist zunächst auf 3 Jahre befristet.
Bewerbungsschluss: 12.11.2025


Bewerbungen per E-Mail können leider nicht angenommen werden. ​
Bitte beachten Sie auch, dass wir per Post eingereichte Bewerbungen nicht zurückschicken können.

Wir sind davon überzeugt: Ein innovatives Forschungs- und Arbeitsumfeld lebt von der Vielfalt seiner Beschäftigten. Daher freuen wir uns über Bewerbungen von talentierten Menschen, unabhängig von Geschlecht, kulturellem Hintergrund, Nationalität, ethnischer Zugehörigkeit, sexueller Identität, körperlichen Fähigkeiten, Religion und Alter. Menschen mit Schwerbehinderung werden bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt.
 
Hinweis: Wir unterliegen den Vorschriften des Infektionsschutzgesetzes (IfSG). Deshalb müssen alle unsere Beschäftigten einen Immunitätsnachweis gegen Masern vorlegen.
 
 

Teilen Sie diesen Job!