Mutschler Lab at TU Dortmund & Braun Lab at LMU Munich
Do you want to uncover how life emerges? Join us in conducting cutting-edge microfluidic experiments that mimic the conditions on early Earth and help us to understand how molecular evolution may have begun with the simplest geochemical systems. You will drive the polymerization of RNA into oligonucleotides and initiate replication of longer RNAs through ligation. You will observe how functional RNA sequences are selected based on size and catalytic activity. Watch as RNA autonomously encapsulates into lipid protocells at heated air-water interfaces or within microchambers forming the first cell-like entities. We start from minimal molecular ingrediences such as two types of 2’,3’-cyclic nucleotide monophosphate. BubbleLife integrates biophysics, RNA biochemistry, nucleic acid chemistry, and the physics of geological microenvironments, alongside the theoretical modelling of RNA evolution using finite element methods. You will contribute to developing new RNA sequencing methods to analyse evolved RNA species and probe RNA-catalysed self-replication under laboratory conditions that mimic surface-exposed porous rocks found on volcanic islands.
Our laboratories are among the European leaders in origin of life studies. We coordinate the CRC/TRR 293 'Molecular Evolution in Prebiotic Environments' project and play a central role in the Origins II Cluster of Excellence. Through the annual Molecular Origins conference in Munich, we actively foster collaboration across disciplines and institutions. Research into the origins of life is not only at the forefront of fundamental science, but is also opening up new avenues in biotechnology, as demonstrated by spin-offs such as NanoTemper. The field is expanding rapidly, with new professorships and research programmes emerging worldwide. Our work has been published in Nature, Nature Physics, Nature Chemistry, Nature Ecology & Evolution, PNAS, JACS, Nature Communications, PRL and Angewandte Chemie.
We offer fully funded PhD and postdoctoral positions within the ERC Synergy Grant BubbleLife, a long-term interdisciplinary research initiative. Join our ambitious team to explore the physical and (bio-) chemical principles behind the origin of life on Earth and potentially on other planets. We are seeking curious, cross-disciplinary minds who are excited to combine theory and experimentation to address some of the most fundamental scientific questions. Interested? Send a brief motivation and an informative CV to: hannes.mutschler@tu-dortmund.de or dieter.braun@lmu.de
The spin-off Nanotemper was founded in our lab by Stefan Duhr and Philipp Baaske, then PhD students, now heading their own company with more then >100 employees and winning prestigious awards. Our lab continues to push for novel methods for biology, including molecule binding screens or innovative light sheet microscopies. We link Bachelor projects with PhD students. For Master thesis, please inquire personally. We continously seek independent minds with a cross-disciplinary attitude between biophysics and chemistry, experiment and theory. Please inquire for PhD positions directly by email 
dieter.braun@lmu.de or phone: 2180-1484.
