Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research

Köln, Germany

The Department of Comparative Development and Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne is seeking a Postdoctoral researcher, Developmental Biology (m/f/d) to integrate single-cell and spatial experimental approaches for the purpose of understanding organ development and the diversification of plants.

The candidate will interact closely with the Director Miltos Tsiantis and members of his group, and be integrated in the lab’s activities on organ shape development and diversity, and cell fate switches, including the ERC AdG project CLONAL. For comparative development projects of the lab see Popoli et al., PNAS 122:e2515732122, 2025; Hu, Wilson-Sanchez et al., PNAS 121:e2321877121, 2024; Li et al., Current Biology 34:541-556, 2024; Kierzkowski, Runions et al., Cell 177(6):1405-1418, 2019.

Tasks will involve designing, conducting and analysing experiments, generating high throughput sequencing data from single cell and associated approaches. Outstanding teamwork and communication skills, as well as a willingness and ability to work collaboratively towards common goals, are essential. This position would suit creative, highly motivated individuals with single cell expertise who are interested in applying these skills to understand the genetic basis for morphological diversity.

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The basic qualifications for the outlined position are:

PhD degree in biology or bioinformatics, graduated 2024 onwards
Strong expertise in molecular biology, single cell approaches
Strong expertise in next-generation sequence data analysis
Expertise in genetic validation of single cell data is an asset e.g. using CRISPR genome editing.
Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (Python/R) and familiarity with Linux, shell-scripting, and general use of genomic tools and datasets
Excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written)
Ability to work in a structured way and a strong commitment to reproducibility in research
Ability to assimilate, apply, and improve on the latest relevant developments in the field
High-quality publications that provide evidence for the skill-set outlined above
Ability to multi-task
Ability to work harmoniously as part of a group and engage in collaboration

Postdoctoral Researcher Developmental Biology

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