Starting date: September 1st, 2026
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 a postdoctoral researcher with training and experience in structural biology (X-ray crystallography) and ideally natural product biosynthesis.
Your assignments
A postdoctoral position is available in the research group of Prof. Robin Teufel that focuses on the elucidation of natural product biosynthetic pathways and the underlying enzymology. You will be exploring bacterial aromatic polyketide biosynthesis by studying the involved enzymes mechanistically and structurally. These enzymes will be systematically exploited and engineered in cooperation with project partners focusing on the synthetic approaches to produce natural product derivatives as potential lead compounds, which will be assessed in terms of bioactivities such as antibiotic and anticancer properties. Insights regarding the complex catalytic mechanisms are expected to also contribute to our basic understanding of polyketide 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 a candidate with a doctoral degree in a field related to structural biology, pharmaceutical biology, (bio)chemistry or microbiology. 聽Experience in structural biology / X-ray crystallography and natural product research is required. Knowledge in enzymology, protein design, molecular biology, microbial metabolism, natural product analysis (LCMS, NMR etc.) and/or bioinformatics are furthermore advantageous. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will also assist PhD students, e.g., with the structural elucidation of proteins.
We offer you
The candidate 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鈥檚 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 for two to a maximum of four years.
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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.
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Applications via email, postal services or agencies will not be considered.
For general inquiries please send an email to robin.teufel@unibas.ch. https://pharma.unibas.ch/en/persons/robin-teufel/