Stellenausschreibungen / Job Opportunities
Research Associate (m/f/d) pursuing a doctoral degree – investigation of the magnetic sense in bacteria
Chair of Microbiology
University of Bayreuth is a research-oriented institution with internationally competitive and interdisciplinary profile areas in both research and teaching. At Universität of Bayreuth, a position at the chair of microbiology will be available as of 01.01.2026 for a
Research Associate (m/f/d) pursuing a doctoral degree – investigation of the magnetic sense in bacteria
remunerated according to pay grade 13 TV-L, for a duration of 3 years. The position has a workload of 65% of the regular weekly working hours of a full-time employee.
Information on the project:
The project is part of the research planned in the newly-funded cluster of excellence ‚NaviSense‘, which is hosted at the University of Oldenburg and involves national and international partner institutions (https://navisense.org/). In this highly collaborative research network, an interdisciplinary team of scientists from biology, physics, chemistry, computer sciences and social sciences will focus on a deep understanding of the senses and mechanisms used by animals to navigate, and how these mechanisms can inspire technology and impact society, ecology, and biodiversity.
At University of Bayreuth’s chair of microbiology, research activities are dedicated to the investigation of the bacterial magnetic sense, which is mediated through biomineralization of magnetic cell organelles. Since one mechanistic hypothesis discussed for animal navigation is the information transduction by magnetite crystals, insights from research on magnetotactic bacteria may yield valuable cues.
For the present opening, we seek highly motivated candidates with an MSc in biochemistry/biology or closely related disciplines and a strong passion for research. Ideally, your background enables you to deal with the following tasks: cultivation and molecular-genetic analysis of fastidious (specifically: magnetic) bacteria, biochemical purification and characterization of cellular structures, fluorescence and electron microscopy of bacterial cells, and bioinformatic analyses.
Collaborating with other researchers on interdisciplinary research projects and presenting your research in scientific discussions and publications will also be part of your work. Excellent command of German and/or English language in spoken and written is required.
The University of Bayreuth values the diversity of its employees as an asset and explicitly commits to the goal of gender equality. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications from individuals with children are very welcome. University of Bayreuth is a member of the Best Practice Club ‚Family in Higher Education e.V.‘ and has successfully participated in the HRK audit ‚Internationalization of Higher Education‘. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration in cases of equal qualification.
Application
Please submit your application online via the application portal of the University of Bayreuth until 30.10.2025, including all relevant documents and stating the reference code ‚NaviSense‘. All application materials will be deleted in accordance with data protection regulations once the position has been filled.
If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Dirk Schüler (dirk.schueler@uni-bayreuth.de).