14/2026 PhD position in the framework of the HORIZON EUROPE Marie Skłodowska-Curie (f/m/d)

Vacancy

Our Mission: Discovering and describing life and earth - with people, through dialogue.

The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) is an excellent and integrated research museum of the Leibniz Association with an international reputation and globally networked research infrastructure. It is active in three closely interlinked fields: collection‑based research, collection development and cataloguing, and research‑based public and educational work. Over the next ten years, the Museum für Naturkunde will realise its plan for the future. New laboratories and jobs for cutting‑edge research will be created. At the same time, one of the world’s most comprehensive natural history collections with over 30 million objects will be housed in modern collection buildings and completely digitised in the process. The implementation of the Future Plan, funded with a total of 660 million euros from the Federal Government and the State of Berlin, will only succeed with strong interdisciplinary national and international partners.

Become part of our team and contribute to advancing science.

• Position: PhD position in the framework of the HORIZON EUROPE Marie Skłodowska‑Curie (f/m/d) doctoral network ZooCELL: “The evolution of cellular phenotypes in animal diversity: multidisciplinary training in 3D cellular reconstruction, multimodal data analysis and science outreach”.
• Work schedule: full-time (currently 39 hours and 24 minutes).
• Duration: Initial contract of 18 months within the MSCA Doctoral Network framework, with an option to extend up to a total of 36 months depending on project timeline, institutional procedures and budget availability. Suggested start date: July 1, 2026.
• Salary Level: a monthly gross salary of about €3,900 to €4,400, depending on family status (including health care and social security benefits).
• Code: 14/2026.

Project Description

ZooCELL DC9 Project: “The frontal nervous system and receptor cells in Lophophorates”. Planktonic larvae of lophophorates (brachiopods, phoronids) show a broad range of behavioural traits in response to their environment (phototaxis, defense behaviour, chemotaxis, etc.) facilitated mainly by parts of the nervous system concentrated in the frontal part of the larval body. These include e.g. larval eyes and the apical organ.

In brachiopods three different developmental conditions apply: free‑swimming lecithotrophic larvae, brooded lecithotrophic larvae, and free‑swimming juveniles. They all differ in morphology, behaviour, lifetime, and environmental cues they are exposed to. Nonetheless, brachiopods are monophyletic and a common origin of neuronal elements involved in orientation is to be expected. Phoronids and brachiopods are sister taxa, hence the inclusion of horseshoe worms as an outgroup for comparison.

Your tasks

The candidate will conduct an in‑depth study of the morphology of the frontal nervous system and especially apical organs based on serial electron microscopy (TEM, FESEM) to 3D‑reconstruct the shape of individual neuronal cells in apical organs and the surrounding nervous system including receptor cells, the interconnection between these and the frontal nervous system, and the overall architecture of these sensory structures. Supported by scRNA‑seq data partly gathered during the preceding project EvoCELL, immunohistochemistry and new AI technologies the candidate will characterize developmental stages of the articulate brachiopod Terebratalia transversa (potentially also Laqueus vancouveriensis and Terebratulina unguicula to be collected at Vancouver, Canada, and if possible the inarticulate species Novocrania anomala to be collected at Bergen, Norway) and compare those to data on other lophophorate and lophotrochozoan groups investigated within work packages 1‑4 of the ZooCELL network (e.g. Phoronis muelleri). The goal is to finally decipher interdependencies between nervous system morphology (plasticity) and developmental and environmental cues in these groups and to gain a better understanding about the evolution of nervous system‑associated cell types across the board of lophotrochozoan animals. Additionally, as the MfN coordinates the science outreach part of the project, the candidate will be involved in the setup and maintenance of the project’s homepage and activities related to science communication.

Your profile

The candidate preferably has a background in evolutionary morphology of invertebrates and is familiar with high‑resolution microscopy techniques, such as TEM, SEM, CLSM, etc. Knowledge in molecular biology and a strong interest in science communication are advantageous. Applicants must have a master’s degree or equivalent to be eligible to enroll as a PhD‑student at Humboldt‑University Berlin. To be eligible for the fellowship, candidates must not already possess a doctoral degree. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis, but have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Candidates of all nationalities may apply, but they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their appointment (short stays such as holidays or compulsory national service are not taken into account).

We offer you

• Exciting working environment in an attractive research museum with varied tasks in a dynamic and future‑orientated market.
• Very good public transport connections in the centre of Berlin.
• Extensive further training opportunities on a personal and professional level.
• Flexible working hours and a wide range of options for balancing work and family life (for example flexi‑time or individual part‑time models).
• Mobile working possible for up to 60 % of individual working hours.
• Employer subsidy for the “VBB Firmenticket” (company ticket) or “Deutschlandticket Job” (Germany ticket job).
• Employee events, company health management and German and English language courses.
• 30 days’ holiday plus 24 December and 31 December off.

Special Notes

In support of equal rights, applications from qualified women are particularly welcome. Handicapped individuals will be given preference in cases of identical qualifications.