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The Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS invites applications for eight PhD student positions within the newly established Department of Chemical Biology (DCB), created as part of the EU-funded project (Horizon Europe, ERA Chairs).

DCB is led by Prof. Marcin Drąg, an internationally recognised expert in chemical biology and in the combinatorial chemistry of proteolytic enzymes. The department’s mission is to develop and apply cutting-edge chemical tools – such as modified peptides containing unnatural amino acids (UAA) – to drive both fundamental and translational research in biology and medicine. Among Prof. Drąg’s most prominent achievements is the development of a UAA-based inhibitor that shares key structural features with the active compound in Nirmatrelvir/Paxlovid, a widely used antiviral drug for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (Nature Chem Biol, 2021).

Under this call, eight doctoral positions are offered, each assigned to a separate research project. The list of available doctoral project topics is provided below:

1. Development of small-molecule viral protease inhibitors (1 vacancy)
2. Investigating the therapeutic potential of disease-related enzymes involved in post-translational protein modification (1 vacancy)
3. Development of a universal homogeneous assay platform for studying biomolecular interactions in research, diagnostics, and drug discovery (2 vacancies)
4. Bleomycin-Inspired Molecular Constructs for DNA Damage in Cancer Therapy (1 vacancy)
5. Self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides within the cancer cellular membrane (1 vacancy)
6. New types of inhibitors for bacterial proteases (2 vacancies)

Doctoral students will have a unique opportunity to develop their research skills, gain experience working on innovative projects, and actively participate in the research directions of the newly established Department of Chemical Biology. The research program involves close collaboration with other groups at IChF, as well as the opportunity to participate in projects conducted in partnership with academic and industrial partners.

Responsibilities:

1. Preparation of samples, synthesis, and analysis of compounds and molecules.
2. Measurements and characterisation of compounds and molecules.
3. Data analysis.
4. Reporting and presenting data.

1. An inspiring and supportive research environment at one of Poland’s leading scientific institutes.
2. Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and a strong institutional commitment to international collaboration and research excellence.
3. Technical, administrative, and organisational support from professional English-speaking staff.
4. Opportunities for professional growth through courses, scientific training, academic mentoring, and peer support.
5. Additional benefits, including a reduced rate for individual private medical healthcare, membership in the MultiSport programme (discounted gym and sports facility access) and access to Social Funds (favourable loans for housing purposes, holiday subsidies and childcare support).

Career development prospects at IChF:

1. The successful candidate will be part of the Department of Chemical Biology in IChF.
2. Opportunity to advance scientific knowledge and gain experience in research at the border of biological science and physical chemistry in a prestigious application-oriented project.
3. Opportunity to work in a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of experienced chemists, engineers and biologists.
4. Participation in international conferences and Erasmus+ programme.

1. Master's degree in Chemistry or related discipline.
2. Good knowledge of English, both verbal and written.
3. Knowledge of chemical biology techniques and synthesis methods.
4. Strong motivation and commitment.
5. Collaborative team spirit.

The candidate must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. The candidate is a PhD student in the Warsaw PhD School in Natural and BioMedical Sciences (Warsaw-4-PhD).
2. The candidate must apply for the next available recruitment period (i.e., 6 Jan. 2026) to the Warsaw PhD School in Natural and BioMedical Sciences (Warsaw-4-PhD). In such a case, the employment contract will be signed after the candidate is accepted into the Warsaw-4- PhD program.

The evaluation will be conducted in two stages — document assessment and interviews. Candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria (maximum 100 points):

1. Competencies of candidates to perform specific tasks in a research project (max 30 points).
2. Previous scientific achievements of candidates, including publications in renowned publishers/scientific journals, grants, awards (max 20 points).
3. Soft skills – command of the English language, communication skills, teamwork, compatibility of plans for individual development with the goals of the group (max 10 points).
4. Creativity measured by the quality and number of scientific publications in which the candidate is the first author, corresponding author or significant author and patent applications/patents and/or implementation (max 10 points).
5. Mobility in the candidate's career (research internships, change in scientific profile, internships and work in industry) (max 10 points).
6. The number of citations of the candidate's work, especially those papers in which the candidate is the first author, corresponding author or significant author (max 10 points).
7. Creativity measured by the quality and number of research projects the candidate has led and publications resulting from the implementation of those projects (max 10 points).