Integrative Structure Biology

The aim of the PhD Program is to provide selected students with an in-depth, interdisciplinary training in scientific methods to enable them to comprehend, rigorously analyse, and provide solutions to biological problems from a fundamentally structural perspective. This theme contains questions lying at the heart of modern molecular and cellular biology which are being investigated by a combination of powerful and varied techniques. Students will be trained to understand when to use these modern techniques and to gain experience in integrating the appropriate approaches to solve a biological problem in structural terms. The initial three month theoretical and practical training will emphasize the importance of validating structural data in its biological context as well as current topics such as the idea that macromolecules may have many conformations, which may vary depending on the location and the environment The participating faculty comprises ten scientists with excellent publication and funding records in analysing the structures and functions of biological macromolecules. Together, the faculty employs most of the current techniques available. Eight faculty members have substantial experience in supervising graduate students. The remaining three faculty are younger scientists in the early part of their careers who themselves will be guided in mentoring by the more experienced faculty. The added value of this PhD program lies in the in-depth training in structural biology and complementary techniques, empowering students with both conceptual framework and tools for understanding structure and function of biological molecules. Varied and complementary expertise of the participating faculty will ensure that students will be exposed to all the modern techniques and scientific methodology needed to discover and comprehend how macromolecules work. The proposed PhD projects all emphasize the integrated use of such approaches and the need for biological validation of the results. Students will be supported in their research by a co-supervisor from the program faculty and a PhD committee. Regular meetings with faculty and work in progress seminars will ensure expert scientific supervision, expose the students to methods and lines of reasoning from other areas of biology (structural, computational, cellular biology, biochemistry and biophysics) and provide expert feedback on presentation and other soft skills. Interdisciplinary faculty and the rich scientific environment of the Vienna Biocenter, as well as research stays abroad, will contribute to the academic development of the students. Specific lecture and seminar courses, visits to collaborating laboratories, the organization of an international workshop and participation at international meetings will further extend their scientific development. Courses in accompanying skills such as paper and grant writing, presentation techniques, research ethics, project management, patenting, gender issues and career planning will complete the students education. The PhD program Integrative Structural Biology is geared at producing alumni disciplined in the use of modern techniques to analyze macromolecules, capable of analysing scientific problems by choosing the most suitable approach, and having the creativity to make unexpected discoveries in the future