Doctoral position (100%) in Natural Product Biosynthesis & Bioengineering

14 April 2026
100%
Basel

Über den Job

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Basel is an Academic Drug Discovery & Development Center, which comprehensively covers academic drug research throughout pre-clinical and clinical research phases. The Pharmaceutical Biology Group within the Department is searching for two PhD students with interest and ideally experience in natural product biosynthesis and enzymology.

Your position

Positions for PhD students are available in the research group of Prof. Robin Teufel that focusses on the elucidation of natural product biosynthetic pathways and the underlying enzymology. You will be exploring the biosynthesis of bacterial aromatic polyketide natural products with antibiotic and anticancer properties and characterize the involved enzymes, which will furthermore be engineered to produce natural product derivatives as potential lead compounds in cooperation with project partners focusing on the synthetic approaches of these compounds. Insights regarding the complex catalytic mechanisms of the involved key biosynthetic enzymes are expected to also contribute to our basic understanding of natural product structural diversification. The place of work is at the Pharmacenter in Basel. Fluency in English (C2 level) is required.

Your profile

We are looking for candidates with a master's degree in a field related to pharmaceutical biology, (bio)chemistry, enzymology, structural biology, or microbiology. Experience and interest in natural product research and enzymology are required. Knowledge in molecular biology, structural biology / X-ray crystallography, protein design, natural product analysis (LCMS, NMR etc.), microbial genetics, and/or bioinformatics are advantageous. As a doctoral researcher, you will furthermore assist master students and be involved in teaching activities.

We offer you

The candidates will join a dynamic multidisciplinary research group of pharmacists, chemists and biologists working on the isolation / characterization of natural products and the underlying biosynthesis in one of the world's hubs for pharmaceutical research. Enjoy the vibrant scientific community at the University of Basel with great possibilities for internal and external collaborations as well as state-of-the-art instrumentation and infrastructure both in-house and close-by. As part of our team, you will receive supportive mentoring, a generous salary and enjoy the high quality of live in Switzerland during your PhD thesis.

Application / Contact

We are looking forward to receiving your online application with the following documents: brief cover letter, up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) and contact details of 2 referees. The CV should list relevant experience and/or academic coursework, which can confirm the candidate's training in the methods listed above. Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email, postal services or agencies will not be considered.

For general inquiries please send an email to Write an email https://pharma.unibas.ch/en/persons/robin-teufel/

Universität Basel
4000 Basel