Procedure no. DSMBBC​/IMol​/Molecular determinants of splicing during exit from pluripotency

Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences

Organisation/Company Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences Research Field Biological sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Poland Final date to receive applications 18 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Warsaw) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

In this project, we aim to understand how the spliceosome, one of the most complex cellular machineries, is dynamically regulated in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and how changes in its composition influence cell fate decisions.

• We will study how splicing factors (SFs) are controlled during the transition from pluripotency to differentiation. We hypothesize that ESCs utilize specialized splicing factor configurations to orchestrate distinct alternative splicing programs that guide developmental outcomes. Particularly, the specific aims of the project are:
• Map dynamic changes in splicing factor expression and spliceosome composition during ESC differentiation.
  Use CRISPR-based functional genomics screens to identify critical splicing regulators of pluripotency and differentiation.
• Apply in vitro and in vivo differentiation assays combined with transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling to define how alternative splicing programs drive cell fate.
• Investigat the molecular architecture of the spliceosome using mass spectrometry and structural biology techniques such as cryo-EM (in collaboration).
• Analyze how ESC-regulated spliceosomes associate with specific transcript networks and functional outputs in stem cells.

Hold a degree of Master of Science, Master of Engineering, medical doctor or equivalent in the field of: exact sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences or related disciplines, granted by a Polish or foreign university; a person who does not possess the qualifications described above may take part in the competition, but must obtain the qualifications in question and provide the relevant documents before the start of the programme at the Doctoral School (i.e., March 1, 2026).

Education at the Doctoral School begins on March 1 2026;

Specific Requirements

• Strong background in molecular and cell biology
• Interest in RNA biology or gene regulation with prior experience in stem cell biology/developmental biology
• Expertise in bioinformatics and data science
• Prior experience in any of the following areas will be considered a strong asset: CRISPR-based screening, transcriptomic profiling, proteomics, or stem cell differentiation.

Research Field Biological sciences Years of Research Experience None

Scholarship amount (net, monthly, PLN): 1st year: 5.500 PLN; 2nd year: 5.500 PLN; 3rd year: 5.500 PLN; 4th year: 5.500 PLN;

Selection process

The recruitment process consists of two stages:

Selection of candidates by the Committee based on their previous achievements and academic performance presented in the documents submitted; for each position no more than 5 applicants who have achieved the highest scores, but no less than 60% of the maximum points, shall be qualified for the next stage;

An interview conducted by the Committee including in particular:

• a presentation delivered by the candidate containing the outcomes of his/her research (a Master’s thesis or other research work carried out by the candidate); the presentation must not last longer than 10 minutes;
• questions asked by the members of the Committee related to the presented project, the methods used and interpretation of the results obtained;
• questions asked by the members of the Committee related to the proposed PhD programme described in the recruitment announcement;
• questions related to the candidate’s motivation for scientific work.

Stage One
learning outcomes (a scale of the evaluation: 0.0 ‒ 6.0 points);
participation in a scientific project or an academic conference (a…