PhD Candidate (ATLAS PhD Program) - Bioinformatics and Translational Medicine

ATLAS - Joint PhD Program from BioNTech and TRON with a focus on translational medicine 

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a strong interest in bioinformatics to join the ATLAS PhD Program. The successful applicant will be based at TRON in Mainz and will become part of the vibrant scientific community at BioNTech and TRON. For details on the program and the offered PhD project, please visit www.atlas-phdprogram.com. 

BioNTech and TRON (Translationale Onkologie an der Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz gemeinnützige GmbH) are leading institutions in the field of immunotherapy. Our joint international PhD Program (ATLAS) continuously recruits outstanding and young scientists of all nationalities for selected doctoral research opportunities that align with the strategic scientific priorities of BioNTech and TRON.  

 
Our international PhD program ATLAS (Talent Academy for TransLAtional Science), guides and supports PhD students to conduct excellent research projects and offers comprehensive training in cutting-edge technologies and professional skills. The scientific training within the program has a strong focus on "the art of translation", i.e. turning basic scientific discoveries into applications.

We offer the opportunity to work on an innovative research project focused on translational science in the field of medicine. As an ATLAS PhD student*, you will join a community of world-class scientists working on diverse topics such as: 

• lmmunotherapy of cancer, infectious diseases & autoimmunity
• Cardiovascular, ageing & regenerative biomedicine
• RNA biochemistry
• Protein engineering
• Bioinformatics & systems biology
• Biomarker research
• Antimicrobial therapies 

Who can apply? 

Aspiring students seeking to advance knowledge and explore novel therapies.

The requirements are: 

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in biology, biochemistry, life science, chemistry, computer science or related fields
• Motivation and passion for science
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within an international, multi-disciplinary team
• Professional proficiency in both written and spoken English 

We Offer:

• A highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment at the interface between academia and pharmaceutical applications 
• A doctoral degree awarded by a partnering university (e.g. Mainz University) 
• Dedicated supervision by leaders in their fields with a strong publication record 
• Cutting-edge technologies and in-house services to support your research 
• Extensive curriculum for scientific, technical and professional skills 
• An active and engaging scientific and PhD community
• Excellent working conditions: 

• • Fully funded PhD position at TRON 
  • Family-friendliness 
  • Open and inclusive culture 
  • An international environment with English as our working language 

Have we piqued your interest?

Then apply now for our location in Mainz, Germany and simply send us your application documents using our online form. 

• All mandatory documents (CV, letter of motivation, official degree certificate and/or transcript of record of your master’s degree, official information on the grading system of your home university) must be combined into one pdf file and uploaded on the field "*Resume/ CV" via the application portal. Please also have a look at the ATLAS website (www.atlas-phdprogram.com) for a detailed description of all mandatory documents.
• All other additional documents (e.g. reference letters, etc.) should be combined into one pdf file and uploaded on the field "Additional documents" via the application form.
• For the field "expected annual remuneration package”, please fill in "not applicable" since all PhD students will receive a fixed salary and benefits.
• Please make sure you will agree that both BioNTech and TRON can access your data. If you disagree, your application will not be further evaluated. 

The deadline for applications is October 11th, 2026. 

Online interviews will take place between November 17th and November 25th, 2026. On-site interviews will take place in Mainz in December 2026. 

If you have any further questions, please visit www.atlas-phdprogram.com or email us at info@atlas-phdprogram.com. 

We look forward to your application! 

Please note that your application and data will be used by both BioNTech and TRON - for further information on the data protection policy please go to www.atlas-phdprogram.com 

*BioNTech and TRON do not tolerate discrimination, favoritism, or harassment based on gender, political opinion, religion or belief, nationality, ethnic or social origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, physical appearance, health status or any other aspect of personal status. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Most important - it's a match!