Through our research and our commitment to the transfer of knowledge and technology, we contribute significantly to the preservation of the function and protection of the ocean for future generations. We are seeking a skilled and motivated post-doctoral researcher who will work in ecology-based marine natural product discovery project(s). The main task will be the investigation of the (cultivable) microbiome of marine organisms i) to unravel their contribution to the overall fitness of the host organism through production of bioactive secondary metabolites, ii) to identify their potential drug discovery against human diseases. Several microbial cultivation approaches, such as one-microbe-at-a-time, co-cultivation and the synthetic microbial community (SynCom) will be employed.
GEOMAR Research Unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry / GEOMAR Centre for Marine Biotechnology is seeking an experienced post-doctoral researcher (m/f/d) in ‘‘Marine Microbial Natural Product Chemistry’’. The position is available for 3 years starting at the earliest date possible.
Job Description
- Innovative cultivation and extraction of marine microorganisms
- Investigating their chemical capacity by comparative genomics and metabolomics (computational untargeted metabolomics using LC-MS/MS-based molecular networks)
- Fractionation of the extracts; LC-MS and bioactivity-guided isolation and structure elucidation of the purified metabolites
- Supervising and training students
- Maintain analytical equipment
- Cooperate with other large collaborative projects of the research group
Qualification
Required:
- A diploma and a Ph.D. in microbial natural product chemistry
- Hands-on experience and a strong understanding of metabolomics/dereplication of natural products by LC-MS/MS (preferably by molecular networks)
- Solid experience in purification of natural products (by HPLC and other chromatographic methods)
- High competence in structure elucidation of natural products (1D and 2D NMR, HRMS, other spectroscopic and computational methods)
- Experience in writing first author-publications, high publication track record in scientific journals and conference presentations
- Excellent communication skills in English (both spoken and written)
Desirable:
- Experience in microbial genomics and biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) analyses
- Microbiomics (e.g., NGS)
- A scientific diving license
- A full car driving license
The research unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry offers a dynamic, international and innovative research environment with excellent infrastructure and networks, a collaborative work culture, thus is an ideal incubator for a successful career. Our labs are equipped with state-of-the-art chemical facilities including in-house UPLC-QTOF-MS coupled with DESI Imaging Mass Spectrometry, HPLC-DAD-MS, HPLC-HRMS, GC-MS, automated extraction systems such as Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE), FT-IR, polarimeter and related databases, as well as excellent microbiology/biotechnology facilities and over 75 running in vitro biological assays. Our in-house microbial culturing facilities span from small (1 L) to large-scale (300 L fermenter), as well as access to sequencing facilities. GEOMAR has full access to high-resolution (cryo-) NMR facilities at Kiel University. We lead or participate multiple collaborative EU or national research projects.
Application deadline: August 15, 2025
