9 Sep 2026
Job Information
- Organisation/Company: International PhD Programme (IPP) Mainz
- Department: Institute of Molecular Biology
- Research Field: Biological sciences
- Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Positions: PhD Positions
- Application Deadline: 15 Oct 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Berlin)
- Country: Germany
- Type of Contract: Temporary
- Job Status: Full-time
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
Thinking of doing your PhD in the Life Sciences? The International PhD Programme (IPP) Mainz is offering talented scientists the chance to work on cutting edge research projects. As an IPP PhD student, you will join a community of exceptional scientists working on diverse topics ranging from how organisms age or how our DNA is repaired, to how epigenetics regulates cellular identity or neural memory.
Activities and responsibilities
The research group of Johannes Mayer offers the following PhD project:
Circulating myeloid cells, which include monocytes, dendritic cells and granulocytes, are short lived and continuously replenished by the bone marrow. Under non-inflammatory conditions, myelopoiesis follows relatively ordered differentiation routes that sustain circulating monocytes and granulocytes and seed tissue macrophage and dendritic cell compartments. Both mature cells and bone marrow progenitors have the capacity to rapidly reconfigure during local and systemic inflammation, with cell-cell communication cues from stromal, endothelial, and lymphoid niches helping to calibrate output and function.
Myeloid cell activation and exhaustion has both been described on a mature cell and progenitor cell level, leading to emergency myelopoiesis or hematopoietic halt/shock. Using single-cell and multi-omic profiling integrated with trajectory inference and ligand-receptor/network modeling, this project will establish a perturbation landscape of different myeloid cells and their progenitors in the context of different inflammatory cues using in silico modelling and in vitro validation.
PhD project: Defining Myeloid cell Ageing and its immunological impact on a single cell level
In our lab, we have established an integrated toolkit to study myeloid cell biology at single-cell resolution. Combined with datamining, LLM studies, in vitro activation and CRISPR/Cas9 perturbation screen, you will study the activation and exhaustion landscape of different myeloid cell types and their progenitors. In addition, you will work together with the team to characterize inflammatory models in vivo that span both systemic and local inflammation and track myeloid cell and progenitor activation and exhaustion over time.
This PhD requires a strong background in immunology, previous experience with both wet lab and dry lab work on a single-cell level and a willingness to work with in vivo animal models, including handling, experimental design and tissue processing and analysis.
If you are interested in this project, please select Mayer (Activate) as your project preference in the IPP application platform.
Qualification profile
Are you an ambitious scientist looking to push the boundaries of research while interacting with colleagues from multiple disciplines and cultures? Then joining the IPP is your opportunity to give your scientific career a flying start!
All you need is:
- Master or equivalent
- Interactive personality & good command of English
- 2 letters of reference
We offer
- Exciting, interdisciplinary projects in a lively international environment, with English as our working language
- Advanced training in scientific techniques and professional skills
- Access to our state-of-the-art Core Facilities and their technical expertise
- Fully funded positions with financing until the completion of your thesis
- A lively community of more than 200 PhD students from 44 different countries
For more details on the projects offered and how to apply via the online form using the apply button.
The deadline for applications is 15 October 2026. Interviews will take place at IMB in Mainz on 18+19 January 2027.
Starting date: 1 February - 31 July 2027
Where to apply
Website: https://www.imb.de/phd/apply
Requirements
- Research Field: Biological sciences
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Skills/Qualifications: Immunology
- Specific Requirements: This PhD position requires a strong background in immunology, previous experience with both wet lab and dry lab work on a single-cell level and a willingness to work with in vivo animal models, including handling, experimental design and tissue processing and analysis.
- Languages: ENGLISH
- Level: Good
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: International PhD Programme (IPP) Mainz
- Country: Germany
- City: Mainz
Contact
- City: Mainz
- Website: http://www.imb-mainz.de/PhD
- Street: Ackermannweg 4
- Postal Code: 55128
