PhD student (f/m/x) in Köln

• Generation of CRISPR/ Cas9 mediated knock out of a selected set of candidate RNA regulatory factors in human pluripotent stem cells
• Investigate the mechanisms and processes controlling cell fate decisions using differentiation approaches, including organoid models 
• Biochemical analysis of protein-RNA interactions
• Willingness to learn and integrate basic computational pipelines for RNA seq and eCLIP seq into your project workflow

• M.Sc. or equivalent degree in developmental biology, biochemistry or computational biology, or a related field, completed with above-average grades
• Experience and publication record in stem cell biology, RNA biology, or computational biology
• Thorough conceptual understanding of developmental biology and RNA biology
• Enthusiasm and motivation to learn new techniques and computational approaches
• Ability and willingness to work in a collaborative team
• Excellent communication in English (written and spoken)

Desired qualifications:

• Hands-on experience in developmental biology, stem cell biology, RNA biology, or computational biology
• Experience in basic molecular biology and biochemistry

CMMC, along with its partner institutes such as the Cologne Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases, Cologne Center for Genomics, and Max-Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing research, all located in the same campus, provides a vibrant scientific community. Therefore, the CMMC´s Asso. JRG I in “Developmental and regenerative RNA biology” is placed perfectly in an environment where fundamental research meets its cutting edge of translational science. 

Working at the University Hospital Cologne and the Medical Faculty means helping to shape the future - the future of medicine, of patients and, of course, your own future. You benefit from 59 clinics and institutes as well as numerous other departments and facilities and more than 10,000 jobs. The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne and the University Hospital Cologne assume important social tasks in research, teaching and patient care. A close network with many university and non-university partners guarantees an internationally successful science and the excellent education of our students.

The  is a multidisciplinary center at the University of Cologne providing a forum that brings together physician-scientists with fundamental researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences to perform competitive basic, disease-oriented research. The mission of the CMMC is to advance the understanding of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms as a prelude to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of many common health problems. For further information, please visit www.zmmk.uni-koeln.de. 

Research overview:

We are an RNA biology lab studying the fundamental principles governing the self-organization of an embryo and its disease implications. We focus on RNA regulatory elements (e.g: long non-coding RNAs, selective translation factors) that control the acquisition of cell fate and maintenance of cellular identity (Cell Stem Cell 2019, EMBO Reports 2019, Circulation 2015). We use a holistic approach that combines human pluripotent stem cell-based differentiation models, including organoids, genome engineering tools, and systems-wide methods such as eCLIP-seq and Ribo-seq.

 To familiarize with the concepts we investigate and our approaches, please refer to:

1. Frank S, ….Kurian L, yylncT Defines a Class of Divergently Transcribed lncRNAs and Safeguards the T-mediated Mesodermal Commitment of Human PSCs, Cell Stem Cell. 2019 Feb 7;24(2):318-327.e8.
2. Ahuja G, ….. Kurian L, Loss of genomic integrity induced by lysosphingolipid imbalance drives ageing in the heart, EMBO Rep. 2019 Apr;20(4):e47407.

Please visit our  to learn more about the group’s interests and ongoing research.