Thinking of doing your PhD in the Life Sciences? The International PhD Programme (IPP) Mainz is offering
talented scientists the chance to work on
cutting edge research projects within the open call on “Molecular Mechanisms in Genome Stability & Gene Regulation”. As an IPP PhD student, you will join a
community of exceptional scientists working on diverse topics ranging from how organisms age or how our DNA is repaired, to how epigenetics regulates cellular identity or neural memory.
PhD Positions: Ubiquitin, SUMO & Genome Maintenance (m/f/d)
Activities and responsibilities
The research group of Helle Ulrich offers the following PhD project:
We study the regulatory mechanisms that contribute to ensuring the complete and accurate duplication of a cell’s genetic information in every cell cycle, especially in the face of DNA damage. We are particularly interested in 1) the emergence, repair and replicative processing of DNA damage on a genome-wide scale, and 2) the contributions of posttranslational protein modifiers of the ubiquitin family, such as ubiquitin and SUMO, to genome maintenance and other cellular processes.
PhD Project: Genome-wide analysis of R-loop-associated DNA damage
R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acids structures resulting from an invasion of an RNA molecule into a homologous DNA duplex. They play an ambiguous role in the genome: on the one hand, they are critical modulators of gene expression. On the other hand, they pose a serious threat to genome integrity as they contribute to mutations and genome rearrangements observed in regions of high transcriptional activity. Given their abundance in the genome, it is not surprising that R-loops are subject to cellular control systems that actively regulate their formation and stability, including RNase H, various helicases, and pre-mRNA processing factors. This project aims at elucidating the mechanisms by which R-loops and R-loop resolution prevent or promote genome instability. Here we propose to map DNA lesions associated with R-loops and investigate the conditions that either enhance or suppress their emergence. Questions that we will address are: 1) What are the types and positions of R-loop-associated DNA damage? 2) Which factors promote or prevent R-loop-associated DNA damage? 3) Does R-loop fragility vary between distinct categories of R-loops differing in their regulatory purposes, their persistence, their association with other non-standard DNA structures or their sequence context? A next-generation sequencing tool recently developed in the lab, GLOE-Seq, which is capable of mapping DNA single-strand breaks and a variety of base lesions, will be employed in conjunction with genome-wide R-loop mapping tools to assess whether unscheduled, pathological, and regulatory R-loops differ in their vulnerability. The project will involve both experimental approaches and bioinformatic data analysis.
This project will be part of the RTG on R-loop Regulation in Robustness and Resilience (4R).
If you are interested in this project, please select Ulrich (Rloop) as your group preference in the IPP application platform.
Qualification profile
Are you an ambitious scientist looking to push the boundaries of research while interacting with colleagues from multiple disciplines and cultures? Then joining the IPP is your opportunity to give your scientific career a flying start!
All you need is:
- Master or equivalent
- Interactive personality & good command of English
- 2 letters of reference
We offer
- Exciting, interdisciplinary projects in a lively international environment, with English as our working language
- Advanced training in scientific techniques and professional skills
- Access to our state-of-the-art Core Facilities and their technical expertise
- Fully funded positions with financing until the completion of your thesis
- A lively community of more than 200 PhD students from 44 different countries
For more details on the projects offered and how to apply via our online form, please visit
www.imb.de/phd.
The deadline for applications is 24 October 2024. Interviews will take place at IMB in Mainz on 20-22 January 2025.
Starting date: 1 March 2025 - 1 July 2025