Career
PhD Position in Bacterial Synthetic & Systems Biology
We are seeking a motivated student for a Ph.D. topic: Unlocking the unused capacity of bacterial metabolism through the rational design of substrate transporters. Start: January/February 2026 (but the start is negotiable).
Project summary (for specific details, contact Pavel Dvořák)
Bacteria are essential biocatalysts, but their efficiency in biochemical production is limited by low carbon flux and productivity. Evidence suggests that bacterial metabolism has untapped capacity, with many catabolic enzymes operating below their maximum rates. This project aims to unlock this dormant potential using a novel “carbon PUSH” strategy, wherein engineered high-performance transporters saturate catabolic enzymes with sugar substrates. The study will investigate the reproducibility of this strategy across three substrates and three bacterial species with different metabolic setups while advancing the design and validation of efficient substrate transporters. Key objectives include molecular dynamics simulations of sugar transport via a bacterial high-capacity sugar facilitator and AI-driven computational design and testing of Glf variants with altered specificity and stability in selected bacterial hosts (our laboratory and the selected PhD candidate will be responsible for in vivo screening and testing of engineered transporters in modified bacterial hosts, prepared by the candidate, and subsequent characterization of the obtained strains using systems biology approaches). By combining different substrates and bacteria, this research seeks to elucidate metabolic bottlenecks and develop enhanced bacterial transporters, paving the way for more efficient biotechnologies.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Education and practical skills in molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, microbial synthetic biology, biotechnology, or related fields
- Skills in systems biology (omics techniques) or genetic engineering (genome editing techniques) are advantageous
• English at B2 or higher level
• Critical thinking, independence, flexibility, friendly nature, and willingness to learn
WE OFFER:
• An attractive, funded 4-year interdisciplinary project with strong application potential
• Access to advanced methods in bacterial synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and systems biology
• A friendly collaborative team on Masaryk University´s vibrant campus with cutting-edge research infrastructure
• Supportive, responsible mentorship from an experienced, internationally-recognized supervisor
• Research stays at collaborating laboratories in top institutions in Denmark, Germany, UK, USA, Poland, or Spain
• Competitive salary in the Czech research environment (for details contact Pavel Dvořák)
- Employee benefits such as 6 weeks of paid vacation per year, a financial meal allowance, discounted language courses, a university cinema discount, and a childcare group on the university campus
- Opportunity to work and live in a modern, safe, and dynamic city, one of the most popular student cities in Europe:
- https://www.study-in-brno.cz/why-study-in-brno
- https://www.em.muni.cz/en/student/11992-10-reasons-why-brno-is-the-best-city-for-students
- International Staff Office provides support with the relocation of foreigners to Brno
Application: Please, send your structured CV (max. three A4 pages), motivation letter (max. one A4 page), and contact for at least two reference persons (ideally former and current supervisors) to pdvorak@sci.muni.cz.
Please note that the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University is a proud holder of the HR Excellence in Research Award by the European Commission. (https://www.sci.muni.cz/en/about-us/hrs4r)