Postdoctoral Researcher in Peptide-Based Drug Discovery

The successful candidate will:

• Collaborate with experts in protein engineering and drug delivery on an innovative research challenge.
• Apply their expertise in designing structure-based peptide ligands and peptide conjugates.
• Develop affinity-based screens with combinatorial peptide libraries.
• Synthesize, purify, and characterize peptides and peptide conjugates.
• Evaluate the use of de novo approaches for hit discovery.
• Study the bioactivity of synthesized compounds in biophysical and cell-based assays.
• Contribute to the teaching and supervision of junior researchers in the group.

We are looking for a candidate with an intrinsic interest in peptide therapeutics, a passion for drug discovery and development, and the ability to integrate effectively into a multidisciplinary team through collaborative exchange and discussions.

Requirements:

• PhD in Chemical Biology, Peptide Chemistry, or Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Profound expertise in the (solid-phase) synthesis of peptides and peptide conjugates, purification, and analytical characterization.
• Previous experience in proteomics or peptide sequencing by mass spectrometry.
• Hands-on skills in bioactivity profiling via biophysical methods (fluorescence polarization, surface plasmon resonance, biolayer interferometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, or similar) and cellular assays.
• Expertise in bioinformatics and programming is advantageous.
• Experience in structure-based design or generative models is a plus.
• First-author publication(s) in peer-reviewed journals relevant to the profile (published or submitted).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to collaborate within a multidisciplinary team, independently develop a research project, and meet defined milestones.

The candidate must be able to start the project by 01.03.2026.