Projects Offered

1 PhD project offered in the IPP winter call 2026/2027

Scientific Background

Transcription is the first step in gene expression, governing cell identity, differentiation and response to environmental signals. Understanding the mechanisms behind the regulation of gene expression is essential because it is crucial for survival, and incorrect transcriptional regulation can have detrimental consequences ranging from reduced fitness to developmental defects and disease. Proper control of transcription requires a multitude of regulatory elements and proteins to act in a concerted fashion to organize the molecular machinery. Current models have proposed the role of dynamic assemblies, so-called transcription condensates (TCs), which constitute liquid-like environments that concentrate the necessary factors for efficient transcription at specific genomic locations. Our previous work showed that these condensates are heterogeneous and suggest a model wherein these transcriptional regulators form different condensates that are functionally specialized for distinct transcriptional stages. However, how they form, influence each other and transition into different stages remains unclear. 

PhD project: The Role of Condensates in Priming Chromatin for Transcription Initiation

In this project, we will study the initial steps of transcription regulation and dissect the contribution of individual factors - such as co-activators, transcription factors, chromatin, chromatin modifiers, RNA polymerase II - for condensation, condensate properties and function. We will further study how they influence each other and how different types of condensates emerge. For this, we will use established reporter lines in combination with diverse microscopy approaches from live cell confocal to super resolution microscopy. We will additionally apply CRISPR technologies, genomics and proteomics approaches. Our cellular approaches will be complemented by in vitro experiments (Wittmann lab, IMB) and modelling (Speck lab, University of Stuttgart). This project is embedded within the collaborative research consortium SFB1551 (https://crc1551.com/, pending funding decision in November 2026).

If you are interested this position of this project, please select Schick (Cond) as your group preference in the IPP application platform.

Publications relevant to the project

Shoup S, Schaaf A, Hertäg K, Sattler AS, Gelléri M, Kielisch F, Speck T, Schick S (2026) BRD4, Mediator, and Pol II form heterogeneous condensates with distinct transcriptional and acetylation-dependent states. bioRxiv 2026.06.04.729043 Link

Hertäg K, Shoup S, Thews LT, Khatter R, Ferrario E, Robinson JF, Wittmann S, Schick S, Speck T (2026) Active field theory approach to explain size control of transcriptional condensates. bioRxiv 2026.05.17.725716 Link

Schick S*, Grosche S*, Kohl KE*, Drpic D, Jaeger MG, Marella NC, Imrichova H, Lin JMG, Hofstätter G, Schuster M, Rendeiro AF, Koren A, Petronczki M, Bock C, Müller AC, Winter GE, Kubicek S (2021) Acute BAF perturbation causes immediate changes in chromatin accessibility.Nature Genetics 53: 269-278 Link (*indicates joint contribution)

Schick S, Rendeiro AF, Runggatscher K, Ringler A, Boidol B, Hinkel M, Májek P, Vulliard L, Penz T, Parapatics K, Schmidl C, Menche J, Boehmelt G, Pentronczki M, Müller AC, Bock C, Kubicek S (2019) Systematic characterization of BAF mutations provides insights into intracomplex synthetic lethalities in human cancers.Nature Genetics 51: 1399-1410 Link