PhD position: Structural characterization of lipid-associated IAPP and Aβ Fibrils in Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease

DC 5 - LipAgg Doctoral Network project

The LipAgg project (https://lipagg.eu/) seeks to unravel the structural complexities of amyloid protein-lipid aggregates and investigate their role in pathological aggregation, cellular toxicity, and intercellular spread. Focusing on key human amyloid proteins —amylin (IAPP), amyloid beta (Aβ), and α-synuclein (αS)—linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD), respectively, the project builds on recent discoveries made by the consortium. These findings highlight the critical role of free lipids in membrane damage through the formation of stable lipid-amyloidogenic protein complexes, leading to the lipid-chaperone hypothesis.

LipAgg Doctoral Network program

The selected PhD candidate will participate in the EU-funded HORIZON-MSCA-DN-2024-01 project LipAgg. The LipAgg network brings together partners from 6 European countries and comprises 11 academic or research institutions and 12 industrial partners. The consortium is committed to delivering an outstanding training program for 15 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) aimed at elucidating the role of lipids in the toxicity and propagation of protein aggregation.

Objectives: The goal of this project is to determine the structures of both islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) and amyloid-β (Aβ) using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Amyloid fibrils will first be characterized alone and then in the presence of specific free lipids and model membranes. Both conventional lipids (such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine) and less conventional lipids will be selected in collaboration with 2 other doctoral candidates from the consortium (DC1 and DC3). Smaller aggregate species will also be investigated using electron microscopy, although at lower resolution due to their size and structural heterogeneity. All cryo-EM structural data will be correlated with toxicity assays performed by the doctoral candidate DC7.

The expected start date is 1 September 2026.

Eligibility and Requirements:

Doctoral candidates can be of any nationality.

Doctoral candidates must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment.

Doctoral candidates can be of any nationality.

Doctoral candidates should comply with the “mobility rule”: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.

The salary of the doctoral candidates (DCs) will be paid in accordance with the MSCA rules.

The duration of each fellowship is 36 months.

The EU provides support for each recruited researcher in the form of a living allowance, a mobility allowance and if applicable family needs allowances.

We are a multidisciplinary academic research laboratory operating at the interface of chemistry, biology, and physics.

The Position

The Doctoral candidate key tasks will be to manage and carry out the assigned research project, participate in the LipAgg training and network activities, take PhD courses, write scientific articles and your PhD thesis, participate in national and international congresses and scientific meetings, undertake a research stay at an external research laboratory within the LipAgg network, and disseminate the obtained scientific results.

The ideal candidate for this position is a highly motivated and talented researcher holding a Master’s degree (MSc or equivalent) in Biophysics, Chemical Physics, Biochemistry or Structural Biology.

The candidate should enjoy the challenge of novel scientific concepts and have a highly motivated, persistent and result-driven attitude. The candidate should be able to work well both independently and in an interdisciplinary team.

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required. Strong organisational and planning skills are also necessary. 

Eligibility and Requirements:

Doctoral candidates can be of any nationality.

Doctoral candidates must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment.

Doctoral candidates can be of any nationality.

Doctoral candidates should comply with the “mobility rule”: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.