PhD position (m/f/x) (for 3 years) an der Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
The University Hospital Erlangen, founded in 1815, is a center of state-of-the-art research and clinical medicine. More than 10,000 employees from around 50 professions carry out excellent research and care for our patients. Immunomedicine is a major research and clinical focus of the University Hospital Erlangen and the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg. The Research Training Group (RTG; Graduiertenkolleg, GRK) 2740 "ImmunoMicroTope" , which has started in January 2022, is a research consortium funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and headed by Prof. Christian Bogdan. It is run by 13 outstanding research group leaders located in Erlangen and maintains close cooperations with laboratories in Regensburg and Cologne. The RTG2740 focuses on the in situ analysis of the tissue microenvironment, the micromilieu factors and the metabolites that determine the immune response against bacterial, parasitic and fungal pathogens. The overarching goal of the consortium is the characterization of the complex "immunomicrotope" during infections (Bogdan et al., Trends in Parasitology 2024 10.1016/j.pt.2024.07.013 ).
Project Description
Within the RTG2740 "ImmunoMicroTope ", Prof. Christian Bogdan offers a PhD position in his young and dynamic research team in the project B2 "Role of sex and microbiota for the curative effect of L-arginine in chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania mexicana infection" . Type 2 nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) converts the amino acid L-arginine (L-arg) and oxygen into nitric oxide, which exerts antimicrobial and immunoregulatory functions. In previous studies, Prof. Bogdan's group has shown that the NOS2 is essential for the T-helper cell 1 dependent control of intracellular pathogens, including the protozoan parasite Leishmania . In contrast, the expression of arginase 1 (Arg1) correlated with the progression of disease, pathogen persistence and immunopathology. Moreover, the group observed that the non-healing, chronic course in Leishmania mexicana infected female mice was prevented and reversed by external application of L-arg. Currently, it is unclear, whether this effect is sex-dependent and whether it is influenced by the cutaneous and/or intestinal microbiota. The project aims to adress these questions to provide new mechanistic insights into the L-arginine-based therapy of chronic leishmaniasis. For more information, please visit www.immunomicrotope.de and www.mikrobiologie.uk-erlangen.de/en/research/research-groups/research-group-of-prof-c-bogdan/ .
Position Details
- The program starts on July 1 st 2027
- The PhD position is available for initially 36 months
- Pay grade is determined according to the qualifications and personal requirements as defined by TV-L E13
Application Process
Please provide a single PDF file (last name_first name.pdf ) consisting of the following documents in English language:
- Completed application form (RTG 2740 Application form_PhD; www.immunomicrotope.de )
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation
- One-page summary each of the bachelor and master thesis
- Copies of the university entrance exam, Bachelor exam and Master exam
- Two letters of reference
- Other credentials and information relevant to the RTG2740 program
Please note that applications that do not fulfill these formal requirements, will not be considered.
Deadline for application is January 15, 2027.
The recruitment symposium will take place at the end of February 2027.