About

The Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB) prepares the next generation of chemical biologists to tackle one of the great challenges of the future: explaining the processes of life in chemical terms. Therefore, we created an academic environment that fosters both interdisciplinary education and research. Our research comprises the areas: Synthetic Chemistry, Cellular Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Biophysics, and Computational Life Science. The individually tailored training programme and the intensive supervision by interdisciplinary thesis committees guarantee excellent educational standards. KoRS-CB serves as Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) of the SFB 969: "Chemical and Biological Principles of Proteostasis", and it provides fellowships financed by the SFB. The graduate school was funded by the German Excellence Initiative from 2007 until 2019 and is supported by top-class research institutions and world-renowned industrial partners. Synthetic Chemistry The research activities have a strong focus on Cellular Chemistry. At the heart of this priority topic are (1) the generation of synthetic molecules that specifically interact with proteins and nucleic acids and modulate their structure and function, and (2) the targeted manipulation of biomacromolecules including carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids. Cellular Biochemistry A number of mechanisms have to be in place to maximise the usage of a limited number of genes accounting for the high plasticity of biological processes. At the DNA/RNA level, such mechanisms include processes that increase the coding potential of the genome and control gene expression at a temporal and spatial level. At the protein level, various posttranslational mechanisms are in place that regulate folding, cellular localisation, activity, and/or availability of a protein. This priority topic studies the fate and function of selected proteins and the mechanisms involved in the control of fundamental cellular pathways. Biomedicine This priority topic spans from the elucidation of basic pathological mechanisms in cells over the use of animal models of disease to the performance of small-scale clinical trials in volunteers. One of the major unifying themes is the Chemical Biology of molecular recognition. This involves the specific interaction of endogenous biological structures with foreign, reactive or altered compounds or proteins modified by posttranslational mechanisms. Biophysics The biochemical and physiological function of proteins is intimately linked to their structure and their potential to interact with other molecules including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and other non-proteinaceous ligands. Both structure/function relationships and protein/ligand interactions are studied by state-of-the-art technologies at the atomic level. Computational Life Science A deluge of data has been generated by Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, and genomics laboratories. Therefore, analysis and not production of bioinformatics information is the bottleneck to scientific progress. Novel methods, algorithms, and computational resources are needed to effectively process this wealth of genomic and proteomic information. Within this priority topic, Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Molecular Bioinformatics, and Computational Methods are applied.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Master's degree (or equivalent) in biology, chemistry, life science, or related subjects; marks significantly above average and a proven interest in chemical biology (as indicated in the applicant's academic record) For outstanding students of the Master's courses at the Konstanz Departments of Biology and Chemistry, this doctoral programme provides the possibility to enrol via the "Konstanz Fast Track" system.

Fee Information

How to Apply

https://www.chembiol.uni-konstanz.de/application/