Thesis proposals

The IBS hosts on average 50 PhD students who are either selected via national Doctoral Schools and International PhD programs (CEA) or financed by external grants from ANR, EU2020 and private fondations.

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CEA Funding

The CEA offers students high-level doctoral training and IBS’s laboratories participate in this program. A diverse array of research topics is available and encompasses the following domains: environmental sciences and host-pathogen interactions, structural biology and biophysics and technologies for health and medicine.

Direct access to the IBS thesis subjects eligible for funding or cofinancing by the CEA:

  • Structural snapshots of a substrate within the active site of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (SL-DRF-26-0239), contact : Malene Jensen - POSITION FILLED ;
  • V-SYNTHES-guided discovery of BET bromodomain inhibitors : a novel antifungal strategy against Candida auris (SL-DRF-26-0261 and to know more), contact : Carlo Petosa ;
  • Studying the structural dynamics of vitamin B12 -dependent photoreceptors in view of biotechnological applications (SL-DRF-26-0263), contact : Martin Weik.

Applicants are invited to contact the researcher proposing the project directly and apply. Successful candidates will start their thesis in the fall of 2026.

Ministerial and Regional Funding

Ministerial and regional funding of PhD fellowships is also possible via the Doctoral Schools of the Université Grenoble Alpes. The IBS is affiliated with the School of Physics and the School of Chemistry and Life Sciences.

The next session for applications will take place mid 2026. Details of IBS thesis projects for 2026-2029 are currently dispatched on the Doctoral Schools’ websites:

– Doctoral School in Physics : Ecole Doctorale de Physique de Grenoble
– Doctoral School in Chemistry and Life Sciences : Ecole Doctorale de Chimie et Sciences du Vivant (EDCSV)

List of EDCSV subjects :

Candidates were able to apply to EDCSV until April 09, 2026.

List of Physics subjects :

  • NMR studies of molecular dynamics and disorder in the viral replication machinery of SARS-COV-2, contact : Martin Blackledge

GRAL funding

In the framework of the recently funded EUR “Grenoble Graduate School in Chemistry, Biology and Health” (CBH-EUR-GS), the LABEX GRAL funds PhD scholarships in GRAL labs of the IRIG institute (IBS, BCI, BGE, CBM, and PCV).

There will be no PhD scholarships for 2026-2029.

Informations about the IBS PhD projects selected for funding in the fall of 2027, as well as details for applying and auditioning, will be available in the spring 2027.

CBH Graduate School Funding

Information about PhD positions at IBS funded by the EUR “Grenoble Graduate School in Chemistry, Biology and Health” (CBH-EUR-GS) will be available in the spring 2026 here.

External grants

The IBS groups welcome thesis students in the context of different fundings, such as ANR funding or European funding (Marie Curie network, ERC, etc..).

As part of the ERC “EnLightEn” project, the ELMA group is offering two thesis topics, under the supervision of Tristan Wagner :

  • Thesis in in microbiology to decipher exotic microbial metabolisms at the molecular level (to know more & apply)
  • Thesis in in Biochemistry/Chemistry to investigate the enzymatic chemistry orchestrated in the microbial anaerobic carbon cycling (to know more & apply)

PAMELA doctoral project under the supervision of Claire Durmort to study molecular interactions of antimicrobial peptides with bacterial targets :

The PAMELA doctoral project aims to explore the mechanisms of action of antimicrobialpeptides (AMP) on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This project builds on preliminary results obtained with peptides exhibiting strong antibiotic activity, whose mechanisms of action remain unclear. This interdisciplinary project is set within a unique scientific environment, supported by a Grenoble-based consortium comprising two academic laboratories— Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) and SyMMES—and a major research infrastructure, ILL - Institut Laue Langevin. This PhD is funded by Université Grenoble Alpes, as part of the national France2030 plan.

Main duties:
– Study of peptide interactions with the surface of Gram-positive bacteria at IBS: Using model Gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae), this work will involve fluorescence microscopy to identify molecular targets recognized by these peptides within the bacterial envelope. Complementary electron microscopy will also be used to visualize interaction sites.
– Structural analysis of antimicrobial peptides interacting with lipid bilayers at ILL: Two bacterial strains, Gram-positive and Gram-negative, will be cultured under conditions to produce perdeuterated lipids. These lipids will be used to create neutron-invisible nanodiscs, enabling the specific study of antimicrobial peptide interactions with membranes using neutron scattering experiments (SANS) at the ILL - Institut Laue Langevin. This unique approach will allow the investigation of membrane destabilization in Gram-positive (S. pneumoniae or B. subtilis) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria induced by antimicrobial peptides.
– Data analysis and design of a new generation of peptides at SyMMES: Based on results from the current peptide generation, new peptide sequences with enhanced antibiotic activity and potential biosensing applications will be designed.

Desired Profile: Dual Competence in Physics & Biology
– Education: Engineering degree or Master’s in Physics with skills in microbiology, or Master’s in Biology/Microbiology with expertise in biophysics and a strong interest in applying physical approaches to biological systems.
– Skills: Autonomy, rigor, initiative, communication skills, and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
Proficiency in scientific English—both written and spoken—is required.
– Assets: Experience in optical and/or electron microscopy, biophysics, or small-angle scattering techniques (SANS), biomolecular engineering.

Application Process:
Send your CV, a cover letter, and contact details for two references to Claire Durmort claire.durmort@ibs.fr by May 18, 2026.