MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity in Extremophile Research opens up!

Apply for an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship with our new research team at Masaryk University!

Exploring cold-adapted extremophiles through bioinformatics, natural product discovery, and engineering of unique biosynthetic pathways.

Are you passionate about decoding extremophile genomes and uncovering their biosynthetic potential? Are you looking for a host institution for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF 2026)?

🚀 Join us at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University (Department of Molecular Pharmacology) as part of a new research team focused on Antarctic microbial systems.
Our research integrates bioinformatics, natural product chemistry, and synthetic biology to discover and engineer novel biosynthetic pathways from extremophiles for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.

🟢 Why Join Us?
✔️ Dynamic and growing research team at Masaryk University

✔️ Access to a dynamic and collaborative network in synthetic biology and systems biology

✔️ Focus on innovation in natural product biosynthesis and pathway engineering

✔️ Access to state-of-the-art laboratories and advanced analytical platforms

✔️ Opportunities for national and international collaborations

✔️ Strong emphasis on translating extremophile biology into biotechnology

✔️Work in the brand-new BioPharma Hub, a cutting-edge research environment within the biomedical campus of Masaryk University (https://biopharmahub.muni.cz/en)

What are we looking for?
The ideal candidate(s) would have:
✔️ A PhD degree with <8 years of postdoctoral experience
✔️ A strong publication record
✔️ Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
✔️ Passion for scientific exploration, teamwork, and independent research 

✔️Experience in genetic manipulation and/or synthetic biology is a must!

We welcome candidates eager to explore extremophiles through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, aiming to uncover and engineer their unique biosynthetic pathways for natural product discovery and innovative biotechnological applications.

If you are interested:

ℹ️ Check the MSCA-PF 2026 eligibility criteria: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/funding/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2026
📝 Send your CV (max 2 pages) and a short research proposal (max 1 page), briefly describing how your expertise aligns with our research focus, to:
bezdicekkralovas@pharm.muni.cz

📅 Deadline: June 30

Possible topics:

• Sulfur-containing secondary metabolites in extremophiles

               Elucidating enzymatic pathways and developing strategies for their functional expression and                          optimization

• Heterologous expression systems for extremophile pathways

                 Engineering microbial platforms to access and study cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters.

• Environmental regulation of secondary metabolism in Antarctic extremophiles

                Understanding how environmental factors (e.g. temperature, UV radiation, salinity) influence                          metabolite production and pathway activation.

• Bring your own idea!

                Applicants are encouraged to propose their own research topics aligned with extremophile                                  microbiology, specialised microbial metabolism, and biotechnology.

For further information, please contact Dr. B. Kralova at bezdicekkralovas@pharm.muni.cz or visit: https://www.kralova-research.com/.