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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. 

Activities and responsibilities

The research group of Petra Beli offers the following PhD project:

RNA plays a central role in translating genetic information into functional proteins, regulating gene expression, and coordinating cellular responses. Like DNA, RNA is vulnerable to chemical damage from endogenous metabolic byproducts and environmental exposures. However, in contrast to the extensively studied DNA damage response, RNA damage is an emerging field where fundamental mechanisms of detection, signaling, and repair remain largely unexplored.

PhD Project: Decoding the RNA Damage Response: Mechanisms of Repair and Signaling

We are recruiting a motivated PhD candidate to join an exciting project investigating how RNA damage shapes cellular health and disease. RNA can be chemically modified and damaged by reactive aldehydes present in the environment and produced in human cells, alcohol consumption, and widely used chemotherapeutic agents, yet how cells detect, repair, and signal this damage remains poorly understood. This project will focus specifically on RNA–protein crosslinks—complex lesions that can disrupt gene expression and stress responses. Using cutting-edge molecular and cellular biology approaches, in particular quantitative proteomics, we aim to uncover the mechanisms by which cells repair these lesions and coordinate signaling pathways that respond to RNA damage. This work has important implications for understanding toxicity, cancer therapy side effects, aging and fundamental RNA biology.

If you are interested in this project, please select Beli 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 1 April 2026. Interviews will take place at IMB in Mainz on 22 & 23 June 2026.
Starting date: 1 July - 31 December 2026