Job Offers

The Nanoscale Bacteriology Lab, led by Dr. Christoph Spahn, is looking for a PostDoc to study the intracellular organization of intracellular pathogens during infection.

Our research focusses on understanding the subcellular organization of bacteria and their response to antimicrobial compounds. We combine super-resolution microscopy (Spahn et al., 2018), drug treatments (Spahn et al., 2025) artificial intelligence (Spahn et al., 2022) and biochemical approaches to understand both fundamental concepts of bacterial cell biology and antibiotic action. Recently, we started to investigate how secretion alters the intracellular organization of pathogens (Ermoli et al., 2025).

In the advertised position, the successful candidate will investigate bacterial secretion during host-pathogen interaction. We will employ a combinatorial approach using live-cell imaging, multicolor super-resolution microscopy and genetics to gain fundamental knowledge about the dynamics of effector protein secretion and the effect on both host cells and pathogens.

Qualification profile:

As a PostDoc applicant, you have completed a PhD in life sciences or related fields.

Essential qualifications

• Enthusiasm for science/basic research
• A strong background in the field of life sciences
• Experience in infection biology and/or molecular biology of bacterial pathogens
• Experience in bacterial and mammalian cell culture
• Experience in advanced microscopy and image analysis
• Curiosity to learn new techniques and explore novel ground
• Excellent team spirit and willingness to teach students
• Fluent English

Optional qualifications

• Experience in programming or with AI
• Experience in biochemistry

What we offer:

At Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, more than 30,000 people from over 100 countries come together to study, research, teach and work. As a central institution of the University, the Rudolf Virchow Center is a modern research center with more than 100 international scientists investigating the molecular causes of health and disease. It has been established as a unique institution for translational bioimaging combining all existing imaging core structures and microscopy facilities.

The Rudolf Virchow Center is a highly competitive international research institute with an outstanding infrastructure. We have in-house access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and to an extensive range of modern biophysical and cell biological equipment. We are integrated into a stimulating cross-disciplinary environment that includes our partners at the Biocenter, the physics department, the Max Planck Research Group in Systems Immunology, the Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) and the University Hospital in Würzburg.

Würzburg is located in the beautiful, wine-growing area of Franconia, in proximity of Frankfurt (1 hour by train) and Munich (2 hours). We have a lot of sun and many festivals in the summer, as well as impressive historical buildings and recreative nature.

The salary is commensurate with training and experience according to Collective Agreement for the Public Service of German Federal States TV-L (100%).

You will have access to both national and public-service pension schemes (VBL), health care, and are entitled to 30 days of holiday in addition to 13 annual public holidays in Bavaria. Our Welcome Center supports international candidates in finding accommodation as well as in administrative matters - and the University of Würzburg offers support for researchers with children, including flexible working hours and childcare.

The position is secured until end of 2028.

Interested?

Applications including a cover letter, a detailed CV (2 pages max), a short summary of past research projects with publications (3 pages max), copies of certificates, and the contact information of two referees, should be sent via email as a single pdf file (not exceeding 10 MB). Applications will be screened continuously until the position is filled.

The University of Würzburg is an equal opportunity employer. As such, we explicitly encourage applications from qualified women.

Please send your application to:   

Christoph.spahn@uni-wuerzburg.de with Cc to Inka.robinson@uni-wuerzburg.de

If you want to know more about the individual project and/or have further questions about the position, please contact me via the mail above.