PhD Position in Protein Engineering and RNA-Targeting Therapies

Published: 18/08/2026Deadline: 15/09/2026**Envisaged Job Starting Date:**At the earliest convenience

A PhD position is available within a collaborative project between the Biomolecular Nanotechnology Laboratory, led by Prof. Aitziber L. Cortajarena at CIC biomaGUNE, and the Neurogenetics, RNA Biology and Therapies Laboratory, led by Dr. Lorea Blázquez at Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute.

The project, “Design and evaluation of repeat RNA-binding proteins for RNA-targeting therapies (RNATher)”, aims to develop engineered RNA-binding proteins as a new platform for therapeutic modulation of disease-associated RNAs, with a particular focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The PhD candidate will work on the design and engineering of programmable pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) and Pumilio (PUF) proteins for sequence-specific RNA recognition and modulation. Building on preliminary proof-of-concept results, the project will investigate the ability of engineered PPR proteins to correct STMN2 RNA misprocessing, a key molecular feature of ALS, in patient-derived cellular models and in vivo.

The project will also explore AI-guided protein engineering and protein language models to generate improved PPR and PUF variants with enhanced RNA-binding properties. In addition, these programmable RNA-binding scaffolds will be engineered to incorporate new therapeutic functionalities, including targeted RNA degradation and RNA editing.

The project is highly multidisciplinary and combines research and combines protein engineering, protein biochemistry and biophysics, molecular and cell biology, RNA biology, artificial intelligence-assisted protein design, and cellular and in vivo models of neurodegenerative disease.

The successful candidate will benefit from the complementary expertise of the two participating groups: Prof. Cortajarena's group in protein design and engineering, repeat proteins, and functional biomolecular systems, and Dr. Blázquez's group in RNA biology, neurogenetics, neurodegenerative diseases and RNA-targeting therapies.

The project will be carried out jointly at CIC biomaGUNE and Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, two multidisciplinary and international research institutes in San Sebastian, Spain, offering state-of-the-art infrastructure and a highly collaborative research environment at the interface of chemical, biological and medical sciences.

**Required Education Level:**Candidates should hold a Master's degree in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Biomedicine, Chemistry, Bioengineering or a related discipline. Candidates who are in the process of completing their Master's degree will also be considered, but the candidate must be enrolled in a doctoral program on the date of joining the centre.

Required Skills/Qualifications:Previous experience in protein chemistry, protein engineering, biophysics, RNA biology, RNA-protein intreactions, molecular and cellular biology, and/orIn vivo experimentation and animal modelswould be highly valuable but not mandatory. The candidate is expected to work in a multidisciplinary and an international environment. Good interpersonal skills as well as written and oral communication skills in English are required.

**Duration:**The successful candidate will be offered a four-year predoctoral contract, with the employment period shared equally between CIC biomaGUNE and BIOGIPUZKOA.

Candidates should submit a motivation letter, CV and the contact information of two referees. The deadline for application is September 15th, 2026.

According to the contract regulation, the candidate must be enrolled in a doctoral program on the date of joining the center. Further information on the enrolment process will be given during the selection.

**Project Funding:**RNATher - CICBMG_PhD_01_2026 - (CIC biomaGUNE )

**Informal Inquiries:**Informal requests for additional information can be sent to Aitziber López Cortajarena at alcortajarena@cicbiomagune.es

Applications sent directly to the emails listed above will be NOT be accepted.

**Equal opportunities Policy:**CIC biomaGUNE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to: age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by European, national, or local law.

**Open Transparent and Merit Based Recruitment Policy:**You can check CIC biomaGUNE OTM-R Policy.

**How To Apply:**Submit your application with a motivation letter stating why you are interested in this position, your CV, the contact details of two academics who can provide a reference using the "Apply to this Job Offer" button.

CIC biomaGUNE, located in the Science and Technology Park of Gipuzkoa (Donostia-San Sebastián), is a leading research center in the area of bionanomaterials, synthetic bioengineering and molecular imaging and counts with more than 180 people from 33 countries. The activity of CIC biomaGUNE is conducted by a team of 12 international and dynamic research groups, supported by flexible and efficient management teams and a unique research infrastructure including the Molecular Imaging Facility, one of the biggest preclinical imaging research infrastructures in Europe.

CIC biomaGUNE maintains a vibrant weekly scientific seminar program by visiting leading scientists. Additional training in soft skills and technologies covered by the CIC biomaGUNE technical platforms is offered to researchers within the in-house training program.

CIC biomaGUNE is committed to develop a HR Strategy for Researchers, designed to bring the practices and procedures in line with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter and Code). Please check out the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers - HRS4R at CIC biomaGUNE and the OTM-R Policy.