Department of Chemistry
PhD Student position in Time-Resolved Structural Biology of Color Vision 80 %
Start of employment February 1, 2026A PhD Student position funded by an SNSF Ambizione grant is available in the team of Dr. Polina Isaikina, hosted by Prof. Jörg Standfuss at the University of Zürich and the Paul Scherrer Institute. Our team applies state-of-the-art structural biology approaches to investigate the functional mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptors and other proteins in a time-resolved manner. Please see our website for further information.
Your responsibilities
In this PhD project, you will study the activation mechanism of cone opsins, the proteins that form the basis of human color vision, using advanced structural biology techniques. These include time-resolved X-ray crystal-lography at the Swiss X-ray Free Electron Laser and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy at the UZH facilities. You will also be responsible for protein production and functional characterization of your targets. The project is embedded in the Biomolecular Structure and Mechanisms program of the Life Science Zürich Graduate School.
Your profile
You must hold a Master's degree in biochemistry, chemistry, structural biology, biophysics, or a related discipline, completed before February 2026. Experience in one or more of the following areas is an advantage: cryo-EM, membrane protein biochemistry/biophysics, X-ray crystallography, or spectroscopy. We also expect strong intrinsic motivation to work on ambitious, interdisciplinary projects at the frontier of structural biology.
Information on your application
Interested? Please submit your application documents (cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact details of two referees) as a single PDF document.What we offer
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What we offer
Further information
Questions about the job
Dr. Polina Isaikina SNSF Ambizione Fellow
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Questions about the application procedure
Prof. Dr. Jörg Standfuss Associate Professor & Head Laboratory of Biomolecular Research
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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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