Practical trainings, student assistants and theses

The application of phage surface display (PSD) technology has accelerated developments in the field of biomolecular sensors and materials science. A practical complement to this technology is Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). In this combination, a more comprehensive view of biopanning rounds with a deep insight into the entire sequence space is made possible. It is possible to identify sequencing artefacts, determine sequence number and structure, recognize binding motifs and observe the evolution of the phage library over the course of an experiment. PSD in combination with biopanning is able to select candidates with high affinity and selectivity to the desired substrates from large peptide libraries. In practice, this specific enrichment of peptides leads to a reduction in library diversity. It should therefore be possible to better visualize this reduction in sequence space using data clustering methods in order to better understand distances between similar sequence families.
The student's task is to find suitable clustering methods for sequencing results from multiple phage display experiments and to apply these if necessary. It should be clear from the results to what extent the sequence space can be grouped into families and whether a mutation profile within and between these families is recognizable.

Prerequisite is a valid enrollment in a Master's program in bioinformatics, biotechnology, molecular biology, biochemistry, biology or a related natural science program. Furthermore:

• Interest in data cluster methods and bioinformatics
• Basic knowledge of bioinformatics, statistics, stochastics and clustering
• Experience with a programming language (e.g. Python, R, C, C++ or other)
• Ability to work independently and in a team

The topic is to be worked on as part of a Master's thesis in conjunction with a voluntary or mandatory internship. This results in a duration of 12 months. The duration can be extended or adjusted in consultation with the supervisor. We can offer you:

• An innovative multidisciplinary research environment related to relevant issues in resource technology
• Supervision by experienced scientists
• Practical experience in the field of bioinformatics and directed evolution

The research project ‘Development of tailor-made peptides for the treatment of polymers before the metallization of plastics’ aims to develop a biomolecule-based system that enables the metallization of high-quality engineering plastics. Using phage surface display technology (PSD), peptides are selected and their binding behavior is characterized using suitable technologies to quantify the surface interaction. Our industrial partner tests suitable peptide sequences in practical polymer coating and metallization experiments.

• Studying biotechnology, microbiology, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a comparable subject area
• Interest in practical, interdisciplinary research
• Knowledge of basic molecular biological and microbiological principles and working techniques
• Careful and independent way of working

• Work in an interdisciplinary and international team
• The workplace language is English
• Duration of the internship or thesis according to study regulations
• Start of work possible by February 2025 at the latest

We are pleased to announce an open position for a research assistant to assist (f/m/d) with the coordination of Jugend hackt Lab Freiberg, a program for young people who want to use code to make the world a better place (https://jugendhackt.org/lab/freiberg/). The aim of Jugend hackt is to teach children how to program and use digital tools, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.

Responsibilities:

• Plan, coordinate and execute activities for the Jugend hackt Lab Freiberg
• Finding and recruiting new mentors for the Lab
• Developing innovative methods to teach kids to program
• Engaging with our local community through activities and news outlets

• Excellent organizational and coordination skills
• An understanding of computer science and programming
• A passion for education and a strong desire to improve the lives of children
• Fluent in German
• Knowledge of artificial intelligence is an advantage.

Duration: first contract of 3 months, with a possible extension of 1 year.
Start: August 2024
Workplace: Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology & PiHaus Freiberg