Open PhD Positions in SFB/TRR | Γερμανία

Exploring mechanisms with cross-disciplinary experiments

Do you want to find out how life could have originated on early Earth? With this SFB, we bring together both young and experienced researchers to form a cross-disciplinary network for experimentally Origins of Life research in Munich. We will integrate the initial boundary conditions of early Earth from astronomy, geology, and chemistry for innovative lab experiments. Projects are jointly designed and led by two PIs with complementary expertise, supervising two PhD students. The students are connected through a graduate research and training network designed to make the students and PIs familiar with the often complex and multi-faceted details of the Origin of Life question. This effort includes a student-driven exhibition at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

The experiments range from the origin of molecules, including their long-term survival in rocks or meteorites and volcanic scenarios of molecular synthesis, to the autonomous poly­meri­zation and replication of oligonucleotides, the origin of the genetic code, the role of freeze-thaw cycles, mechanisms to amplify chirality, connections to existing metabolic networks and the non-equilibrium chemical physics to form, divide and control protocells.

Our long-term aim is to reconstruct life-like molecular systems in geologically plausible conditions.

programsWe are interested in highly motivated and hard working PhD students which are interested in the interdisciplinary interactions of this emerging field. We offer monthly teaching, talks, discussions and exchange with the 32 PhD students of this SFB/TRR.

We are interested in students from diverse backgrounds, matching the projects and one of the two project supervisors - which will also evaluate the criteria for the eligibility to graduate.

Αναλυτικές πληροφορίες: academicpositions.eu