PhD Student (m/f/d)

08.05.2026, Academic staff

To strengthen our research group Food Biopolymer Chemistry / Section I, the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) is currently looking for a committed PhD Student to start on October 01, 2026. The position is part-time (TV-L 13, 65%) and initially limited to 3 years.

The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM), a legal foundation under civil law based in Freising, is a prominent member of the Leibniz Association. Our institute integrates cutting-edge biomolecular research, bioinformatics, and high-performance analytical technologies to explore the complex interactions between the human organism and food components.
To strengthen our research group Food Biopolymer Chemistry / Section I, we are currently looking for a committed PhD Student to start on October 01, 2026. The position is part-time (TV-L 13, 65%) and initially limited to 3 years.
Research Project within the Graduate College “The Proteomes that Feed the World”
Plants are the nutritional basis of life on earth and protein-rich foods from plants are a global megatrend essential for sustaining an increasing human population and counteracting climate change. However, little is known about crop proteomes – the entirety of proteins that execute and control nearly every aspect of life. Therefore, TUM pursues for the second time the visionary doctoral program with high socio-economic relevance on the topic of “The Proteomes that Feed the World” with the aims:
1. To train and develop future leaders in science, industry and society who excel in research, management and communication. This will be achieved by implementing a professional training and project management structure in which doctoral candidates (DCs) master challenging roles, take on substantial responsibility and acquire important transferable skills.
2. To conduct studies with the proteome atlas of the 100 most important crop plants for human nutrition. This enables an interdisciplinary project with leading expertise in plant science, proteomics and bioinformatics. Added value comes from a large international network of excellent academic and industry partners as well as a vibrant local scientific community.
3. The specific project will mine the crop proteome atlas for all food quality-related proteins, including agronomic and food safety, processing- and product-related aspects as well as nutritional value. Examples are proteins that serve as major nutrients (e.g., cereal storage proteins) as well as those with anti-nutritive activity (e.g., enzyme inhibitors, allergens). Our investigations will focus on understanding how these proteins are affected by genetics and by any kind of stress during different developmental stages and how this, in turn, affects food quality. These insights can be used to improve the nutritional value of food proteins and help predict potential emerging allergens from new sources of plant proteins based on similarities to known allergens.
Your Profile
You ideally bring the following with you:
• Excellent master's degree in food chemistry, biochemistry, biology or similar
• High level of self-motivation to achieve a doctorate
• Analytical, creative, broadly interested and solution-oriented mindset
• Strong interest in familiarising yourself with new topics and hands-on attitude to contribute to the training network in leading roles based on very good interpersonal and intercultural skills
• Specialist knowledge: good working knowledge of (food) chemistry and instrumental analytics, especially LC-MS/MS
• Very good written and spoken English
We offer you:
• Thorough training in your area of responsibility
• A wide range of training and development opportunities for professional and personal development
• Opportunities for health promotion and work-life balance
• An appreciative, collegial working atmosphere with flat hierarchies and short decision-making processes
• An interesting and responsible field of work in the context of non-university cutting-edge research
• Flexible working hours with the option of mobile working (home office)
• Company pension scheme (VBL) and annual bonus payment
• A motivated team that is looking forward to welcoming you!
Equal Opportunities and Diversity
Leibniz-LSB@TUM is committed to equal opportunities, diversity, and a respectful working environment. We welcome applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation and identity.
Applicants with severe disabilities or those with equivalent status will be given preferential consideration in cases of essentially equal qualification (§ 2 SGB IX).
Contact and Application
More information on the working group can be found here:
https://www.leibniz-lsb.de/en/research/research-sections/section-i.
For any questions on this job opportunity, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Katharina Scherf, [email protected]
Please send your application, including a cover letter, comprehensive CV and transcripts as a PDF file and stating the reference number 2026-07-S1-KS until June 7, 2026 via email to:
Anja Albrecht (Administration) [email protected].
We look forward to receiving your application!
Data Protection Notice:
As part of your application for a position at Leibniz-LSB@TUM, you will transmit personal data. Please refer to our data protection information in accordance with Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding the collection and processing of personal data in the context of your application. By submitting your application, you confirm that you have taken note of the Leibniz-LSB@TUM data protection information.

Kontakt: [email protected]

More Information

https://www.leibniz-lsb.de/en/research/research-sections/section-i