Jobs in Structural Biology and Related Fields

PhD position in Structural Biology at Helmholtz Munich

Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany

Application deadline: 01 Jul 2026

A PhD position in Structural Biology is open in the laboratory of Dr. Reid Alderson at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich.

Our research focuses on understanding intrinsically disordered proteins and dynamic protein assemblies involved in cell death and protein homeostasis. We take an integrative structural biology approach that combines NMR spectroscopy and AI-based protein structure prediction methods. Two recent papers that highlight our interests in NMR and structural biology are Sever & Alderson, et al. (2023) PNAS & Alderson & Pritišanac, et al. (2023) PNAS. For an introduction to protein NMR spectroscopy, please see Alderson & Kay (2021) Cell.

You will be part of the TUM Graduate School and the HELENA training program of the Helmholtz Association, in which many international PhD students are enrolled. We are part of the Institute of Structural Biology and based at the Bavarian NMR Center north of Munich on the TUMGarching Campus. The working language is English.

Requirements

• MSc degree in Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Biophysics, or similar
• Previous experience in molecular biology, protein expression and purification
• Desire to work in a team and learn about NMR spectroscopy
• Fluent in English

What we offer

• State-of-the-art structural biology infrastructure (1.2-GHz NMR, Titan Krios cryo-EM, excellent computational resources)
• Fully equipped wet lab in the BNMRZ for protein production
• Interdisciplinary research environment and close contact with nearby labs
• Collaborations with groups at Helmholtz / TUM, as well as internationally
• Opportunities to develop new skills with courses at Helmholtz Munich
• Develop computational proficiency (Python, data analysis, modeling)
• Grow your professional network through international conferences
• Interactions with and direct training by the PI

Munich is centrally located within Europe and consistently ranks among the world’s safest and most liveable cities. Both Helmholtz Munich and TU Munich are highly international research environments with diverse team members from all over the world.

If you are interested in applying, then please send an email to Reid Alderson (reid.alderson@helmholtz-munich.de) with your CV and the contact information of two references.

The intended start date of the PhD is from 1 August 2026.