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SUMMER SELECTION 2026

DEADLINE EXTENDED!
  • online registration and application*: starting on 28 February 2026
  • deadline for application: 8 April 2026 (24:00 German time)
  • deadline for submission of reference letter: 10 April 2026 (24:00 German time)
  • online interviews: 18 - 19 May 2026
  • onsite visit: 6 - 7 July 2026

*By submitting your application to the IMPRS-LM database you allow us to store and process your data exclusively for the purpose of the recruitment process.
Please read here the Data Protection Statement of the IMPRS-LM.

 

Applications to the IMPRS-LM PhD program are possible only via our ONLINE PORTAL (click on the above button to start the application process).

The entire process, from opening of our application portal to the onsite interviews, unfolds over a four-month duration.
Applicants are initially granted a window of 6-8 weeks to register on our portal and complete their application.
Subsequently, our coordination office and the recruiting faculty will evaluate and select the top applicants that will be invited for a first interview online.

The online interviews will consist of two short online interactions: a panel interview & a scientific presentation.
Successful candidates will then be invited to an onsite visit 8 weeks later to meet the recruiting labs and find the best matching projects.

For more information, check the application FAQs or contact us.

RECRUITING GROUPS

  • Prof. Dr. Thorben Cordes

    "Development and application of novel spectroscopy and imaging techniques that allow to map structure and function of biomolecules and biochemical processes in space and time"

    BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY - LIVE CELL IMAGING - CHEMICAL BIOLOGY - SINGLE MOLECULE & FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY - OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY

    biochemistry; biophysics; drug development

  • Dr. Malte Gersch

    "How is signalling in the Ubiquitin system orchestrated on the molecular level? From fundamental mechanisms to therapeutic applications"

    CHEMICAL BIOLOGY - PROTEIN-BIOCHEMISTRY - POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS - CHEMICAL MODIFICATIONS OF PROTEINS - PROTEIN STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND DESIGN

    SMALL MOLECULE MODULATORS , POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS, CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS, CELL SIGNALING, BIOCHEMISTRY

  • Prof. Dr. Doris Hellerschmied-Jelinek

    "How does the Golgi maintain homeostasis?"

    CELL BIOLOGY - BIOCHEMISTRY - PROTEOSTASIS - CELLULAR STRESS

    Chemical and Genetical perturbation; protein structure and function; proteostasis; cell biology; protein engineering expression and purification

  • Prof. Dr. Amelie Heuer-Jungemann

    "What I cannot create, I do not understand” - Using DNA nanotechnology to mimic and understand biological systems"

    DNA NANOTECHNOLOGY - DNA ORIGAMI - QUANTUM BIOLOGY - PHOTOSYNTHESIS

    Synthetic Biology; Biocatalysis; Biophysics; Chemical Biology

  • Dr. Leo Kiss

    Dr. Leo Kiss

    "Deciphering the Ubiquitin Code using Cellular Biochemistry"

    BIOCHEMISTRY - CELL BIOLOGY - POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS - PROTEOSTASIS - CELLULAR STRESS - FLUORESCENCE IMAGING

  • Dr. Katerina Naydenova

    "Molecular pathways of cellular danger signaling & methods for visualising them at high resolution"

    CELL BIOLOGY - STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY - INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT - BIOCHEMISTRY - CRYOGENIC ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

    BIOCHEMISTRY; FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY; UBIQUITIN SIGNALING; AUTOPHAGY

  • Prof. Dr. Stefan Raunser

    "New insights into heart disease through cryo-electron tomography"

    STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY - CARDIOMYOPATHIES - IN-CELL STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY - CRYO ELECTRON TOMOGRAPHY

    Cytoskeleton, Host-Pathogen Interaction, Protein Structure and Function, Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Image Processing, X-ray crystallography

  • Dr. Andrija Sente

    "Molecular mechanisms of neurotransmission"

    MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY - CELL BIOLOGY - STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY - BIOCHEMISTRY

    Structural biology; Biochemistry

  • Prof. Dr. Daniel Summerer

    "Synthetic Epigenetics: Designer Proteins for Decoding and Reengineering the Function of Epigenetic DNA Modifications"

    SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY - EPIGENETICS and CHROMATIN - DIRECTED EVOLUTION - EPIGENOMICS TECHNOLOGIES

    Directed Molecular Evolution, Synthetic Biology, Unnatural Amino Acids, Nucleic Acid Chemistry, Optogenetics

News and Events

13 APR
Team Work & Leadership throughout the doctorate

Sign up for the workshop "Team Work & Leadership throughout the doctorate" by Simon Golin, Golin Wissenschafts Management. In this 1-day workshop participants will be introduced to the most important leadership styles and techniques and will acquire knowledge of the methodical approach to leadership tasks. Location: MPI Seminar Room, 09:00 to 16:30.

21 APR
IMPRS-LM Distinguished Guests Seminar

The next IMPRS Distinguished Guest is Prof. Peng Chen, Qiantang-Boya Distinguished Professor & New Cornerstone Investigator, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, China. Title of the talk: “Bioorthogonal Cleavage Reactions in Health and Disease”. MPI Lecture Hall at 11:00.