Summary
A PhD project is available in the group of Prof. Dr. Alexandria (Ali) Deliz Liang in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Zurich (UZH). The laboratory focuses on fundamental enzymology and methods in enzyme engineering, including genetic code expansion. They are currently seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join their interdisciplinary research efforts in these areas.
PhD Opportunity: Enzymology & Enzyme Engineering at UZH, Switzerland
Designation
PhD Student (80%)
(Note: 80% represents the standard employment rate for PhD students in the Department of Chemistry and is not a reflection of part-time employment.)
Key Details Overview
| Feature | Details |
| Institution | University of Zurich (UZH) |
| Department | Department of Chemistry |
| Research Group | Prof. Dr. Alexandria (Ali) Deliz Liang |
| Start Date | Upon agreement (approximately between January and June 2027) |
Research Area
Enzymology, Enzyme Engineering, Genetic Code Expansion, and Mechanistic Enzymology.
Location
Department of Chemistry, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
Eligibility/Qualification
Essential Requirements:
- A highly motivated student with an MS degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field.
- Ability to logically design rigorous experiments, including control experiments.
- Scientific integrity, proactive planning, and the capability to integrate feedback efficiently.
- Capability of working in a highly interdisciplinary project.
- Experience with cloning, protein expression, and protein purification.
- Experience with chemical synthesis.
- Willingness and ability to learn Python scripting.
- Enthusiastic about learning new techniques and working on interdisciplinary research.
- Excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written).
- Conscientious, inclusive working style, and the ability to positively contribute to a supportive environment.
Highly Desirable (one or more of the following):
- Enzyme assay development.
- Protein engineering.
- Comfort with light scripting for data analysis.
Job Description
The successful candidate will engage in an interdisciplinary workflow that approximately follows this trajectory:
- Cloning, expression, purification, and activity characterization for target enzymes.
- Chemical synthesis of substrates and assay probes.
- Assay development for screening enzymatic activity.
- Creation and high-throughput screening of DNA libraries.
- NGS and computational analysis of variants.
- Scripting in Python for data analysis.
- Characterization of key enzyme variants.
- Combining mechanistic enzymology and computation to understand the effects of mutations on catalysis.
Additional Academic and Organizational Duties:
- Serving as a teaching assistant for introductory chemistry courses.
- Participating in group meetings and departmental seminars.
- Fulfilling group equipment and organizational responsibilities.
- Completing PhD requirements for the chemistry graduate school program.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the UZH application portal using the “Apply now” button. Applications sent by email will be immediately deleted.
Applicants should prepare a single PDF document that includes:
- A 1-page cover letter describing previous research and motivation for applying to this position.
- A detailed curriculum vitae (CV).
- The names of two people who can supply reference letters.
(Please note: The application portal also includes a short, mandatory questionnaire).
Last Date for Apply
Open now
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.
