Master Thesis - Drug Discovery & Molecular Pharmacology

2w2 weeks ago

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Frankfurt am Main, DE · Internship · €12,000 – €18,000

About this role

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft operates 76 institutes in Germany and is the world's leading organization for applied research with 30,000 employees generating 2.9 billion euros annually. The Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP develops innovative paths for early detection, diagnosis, and therapy of diseases from immune system dysfunctions. It partners with university medicine and pharmaceutical industry for translation into applications.

In the Department of Biotherapeutic Drug Research and Protein Design, work focuses on developing, characterizing, and validating biotherapeutic agents in Targeted Protein Degradation to eliminate unwanted proteins via cellular mechanisms. This enables access to clinically relevant proteins for oncology and immunology treatments. The Master's thesis is within the LYCRA project on Lysosomal Clearance Inducing Biotherapeutics platform.

Daily tasks include recombinant production of target proteins in eukaryotic systems like HEK293, purification via chromatography, and biochemical analyses such as SDS-PAGE and ELISA. Additional work covers molecular and cell biology with flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy. Data evaluation uses tools like Excel, GraphPad Prism, and Fiji.

Collaborate effectively with team members and present research results in a positive, appreciative environment. Benefit from a nice, engaged team with individual, structured scientific supervision. Access modern lab equipment and state-of-the-art facilities for biomedical questions with room for personal initiative.

Requirements

Studying Life Sciences (e.g., Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry)
Very good foundational knowledge in cell biology, biochemistry, and immunology
Ideally practical experience in the mentioned techniques, especially microscopy and evaluation of microscopic assays
High self-motivation and enjoyment of learning new methods
Willingness for a 6-12 week internship prior to the Master's thesis to learn required basic techniques

Responsibilities

Perform recombinant production of target proteins in eukaryotic expression systems (e.g., HEK293)
Purify recombinant target proteins using chromatographic methods (affinity chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography)
Conduct biochemical analyses including SDS-PAGE, Western Blotting, ELISA, enzymatic assays, and spectroscopic/photometric methods
Carry out molecular biological and cell biological work plus analyses via flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy
Evaluate and interpret experimental data using software tools (e.g., Excel, GraphPad Prism, Fiji, JaCoP)
Collaborate effectively with team members, present research results, and contribute to a positive work environment

Benefits

Work on a current, exciting research project with high scientific relevance
Nice and engaged team
Individual and structured scientific supervision
Modern laboratory equipment and state-of-the-art lab facilities for biomedical questions
Room for personal initiative