PhD position: Evolution of terpenoid biosynthesis in insects

Funding for a PhD position is available at the Institute of Organic 
Chemistry and Biochemistry, Prague, Czech Republic, in the Chemistry of 
Social Insects Lab led by Dr. Robert Hanus. IOCB Prague is one of the 
leading research institutions in the country, offering cutting-edge 
equipment and fostering a dynamic environment for interdisciplinary 
research and global collaboration. About a third of 200+ PhD students 
come from abroad.

Our research group focuses among others on the chemical diversity, 
biological significance, and biosynthesis of terpenoids produced by 
insects. Terpenoid secondary metabolites are used by organisms for 
communication and defense, and the multitude of their biological 
activities is exploited by industries such as pharmaceuticals, 
cosmetics, or food and flavour.

In this project, we address the question of evolutionary origin and 
functional properties of insect terpene synthases, the key enzymes 
responsible for the conversion of prenyl pyrophosphates into terpenes. 
Insect terpene synthases are unrelated to their plant or microbial 
counterparts and have evolved multiple times independently in different 
insect lineages. Our understanding remains limited in terms of their 
reaction mechanisms and structure-activity relationships. Within the PhD 
project, the candidate will functionally characterize a set of insect 
terpene synthases from unrelated insect clades and define their common 
and idiosyncratic structural features acquired during their multiple 
independent origins.

The PhD project is funded by the European MSCA Doctoral Network 
'ModBioTerp' and the grant support for the broader research project is 
funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (2024-2027). The 
main supervisor is Dr. Robert Hanus and a part of the project will be 
carried out in a partner laboratory within the ModBioTerp network. The 
monthly stipend includes 2690 EUR living allowance, 600 EUR mobility 
allowance, and 660 EUR family allowance (if applicable). The ideal 
candidate would be available early in 2025. The candidate must conform 
to the MSCA Mobility Rule: cannot have resided or carried out his/her 
main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the Czech Republic for more than 
12 months in the 3 years immediately before their recruitment date.

Interested candidates should contact the main supervisor Robert Hanus 
(robert.hanus@uochb.cas.cz) and/or Jitka Stafkova 
(jitka.stafkova@uochb.cas.cz).

https://www.uochb.cz/en/open-positions/303/evolution-of-terpenoid-biosynthesis-in-insects

Jitka Stafkova
Chemistry of Social Insects
jitka.stafkova@uochb.cas.cz
http://hanus.group.uochb.cz/en

jitka.stafkova@uochb.cas.cz

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