This doctoral training programme offers an exceptional opportunity for highly motivated candidates to pursue cutting-edge research on the role of water in biological systems. The projects span diverse disciplines including membrane transport, structural biology, biophysics, synthetic chemistry, and biomedical applications.
Applicants should hold, or be close to completing, a Master’s degree in biophysics, physics, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, pharmacy, biology, chemistry, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, or a closely related field. The selection process places particular emphasis on:
- Documented academic engagement and achievement through coursework, research, awards, or scholarships
- A growth mindset combined with strong problem-solving abilities, analytical thinking, and independence
- Strong communication, presentation, and collaboration skills
- Proficiency in written and spoken English
- Compliance with mobility rules: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months within the three years prior to the recruitment date (short stays such as holidays or compulsory national service are excluded)
Required application documents include:
- A motivation letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Contact details of two referees willing to provide letters of recommendation upon request
- Copies of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates (or transcripts if the Master’s degree is pending), including grades
- Any available publications or conference contributions
A list of the available research projects is provided below and further details can be found in the link to the projects
1. Water Transport & Solute Interaction (DC1, JKU, Linz, Austria, @ Peter Pohl)
Studies how solutes and water interact in transporters like SGLT1/SGLT2, focusing on water flux inhibition or facilitation.
2. Water in Membrane Insertion (DC2, JKU, Linz, Austria, @ Peter Pohl)
Explores how water reduces energetic costs of protein insertion into membranes via translocons and the effect of dielectric permittivity.
3. Membrane Fusion Mechanisms (DC3, USAAR, Saarbrücken, Germany, @ Jochen Hub)
Simulates fusion between membranes and nanoparticles, focusing on water’s role in the energy landscape and fusion facilitation.
4. Permittivity in Protein Channels (DC4, UFCH, Prague, Czech Republic, @ Martin Hof)
Develops a tool to measure water permittivity inside protein channels using fluorescence and labelled proteins.
5. Artificial Water Channels (DC5, CNRS, Montpellier, France, @ Mihail Barboiu)
Creates synthetic water channels mimicking biological systems for applications in biomimetics and medicine.
6. Protecting Salivary Glands in Radiotherapy (DC6, ABX, Radeberg, Germany, @ Alexander Hoepping)
Designs strategies to block or protect gland water channels during radioligand therapy.
7. 3D-Bioprinted Salivary Gland Model (DC7, ULB, Brussels, Belgium, @ Christine Delporte)
Builds a 3D bioprinted model to study AQP5 deregulation in Sjögren’s syndrome and test peptide-based therapies.
8. Proton Channel Function of STING (DC8, BI, Biberach, Germany, @ Herbert Nar)
Analyzes STING protein’s proton channel function and ligand interaction through structural and functional studies.
9. Water in Drug Binding (DC9, UB, Bucharest, Romania, @ Ana-Nicoleta Bondar)
Develops graph-based analysis and simulations to understand water-mediated drug binding in receptors and transporters.
10. Mitochondrial Water Dynamics (DC10, VMU, Vienna, Austria, @ Elena Pohl)
Investigates how confined water influences transport in mitochondrial carriers, using simulations and reconstitution.
11. Direct Water Flux Assays (DC11, KU, Leuven, Belgium, @ Peter Dedecker)
Measures water movement through various channels using fluorescence-based single-molecule techniques.
12. Hydration & Transport Selectivity (DC12, CAU, Kiel, Germany, @ Eric Beitz)
Explores hydration’s effect on substrate transport and drug binding in weak acid/base transport proteins.
13. Mitochondrial Proton Gradient Regulation (DC13, FZJ, Jülich, Germany, @ Paolo Carloni)
Simulates two proton transfer mechanisms in ANT1 protein and their dependency on water and oligomerization.
14. Hydration at Lipid Interfaces (ADC1, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, @ Sylvie Roke)
Uses nonlinear optics to study hydration and ion effects on fusogenic lipid systems.
15. Hydration Shells in Nanodiscs (ADC2, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, @ Sylvie Roke)
Analyzes hydration shell asymmetry and dynamics around transporters in nanodiscs under ligand-induced changes.
16. Water as a Probe in Drug Testing (ADC3, ORYL, Epalinges, Switzerland, @ Orly Tarun)
Applies SH light scattering to replace chemical methods in pharmaceutical aggregation and solubility testing.
To help us process applications efficiently and avoid spam, we kindly ask you to attach a document specifying the project you are applying for. Please ensure that the final file in your application is clearly named according to the relevant project code.
For this MSCA Call, valid project codes are: DC1–DC13 and ADC1–ADC3.
We look forward to receiving your application!
