【14-A. Dr. Sampuma Chakrabati】

◼ Research Field
  - Pathogens interact with our nerves directly and indirectly during infection, causing nervous system dysfunction. Many viruses, including varicella zoster and herpes simplex, remain latent in sensory neurons throughout our lives, sporadically resurfacing to cause pain and itch. Sampurna Chakrabarti and her team seek to understand the host–pathogen interactive mechanisms leading to pain by combining functional and proteomic signatures at the single-neuron level. More details can be found in the website: https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/research-groups/details/pathways-in-infection-and-nociception/

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Neuroscience, Biology, Electrophysiology

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Immunohistochemistry/in-situ hybridization of sensory neurons from mouse and nor humans, cell culture, bioinformatics analysis of RNA-seq or proteomics data

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Some interest in programming with R and python would be useful. Students would be trained on immunohistochemistry and microscopy.

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/

【14-B. Dr. Michael Kolbe】

◼ Research Field
  1. Host/pathogen interactions
  2. Structure & function of macromolecules involved in bacterial pathogenesis
  3. Bacterial effector protein secretion mechanisms
  4. Molecular Mechanisms of innate immunity
  5. Biophysical hybrid approaches

Manipulation of human host cells is a fundamental challenge for all pathogens. To understand host-pathogen interaction and pathogenesis, we examine the characteristics, functionalities and interactions of molecular structures involved in the survival and multiplication of bacteria within the host.
One example of such nanomachine is the type III secretion system (T3SS), a membrane-embedded nanosyringe-like complex that allows the direct delivery of proteins, known as effectors, into the cytosol of human cells. The T3SS is a highly conserved virulence machinery of Gram-negative bacteria, and thus it represents an attractive target for novel anti-infectives. The structural core of the T3SS is a ~3.5 multi-megadalton complex assembled from more than fifteen different proteins that spans the two lipid bilayers of Gram-negative bacteria. The current challenge we face is to understand how structural switches in this bacterial secretion apparatus allow the recognition and secretion of effectors in a hierarchical manner and what kind of protein-protein interactions can drive bacterial invasion. We integrate high-end technologies like X-ray lasers and electron cryo-microscopes with other biophysical methodologies to study the functional dependence of structural determinants in T3SSs from water-borne bacterial pathogens and investigate the rules for effector protein secretion, transport dynamics and regulation of the T3SS.

In addition, we have a strong interest in uncovering the strategies used by Gram-negative organisms to subvert the antibacterial response of human cells. Components of the tip of the T3SS apparatus interact with host membranes to allow the translocation of effectors directly to the human cell cytosol. How the translocon components assemble and insert into host membranes to form pores are under investigation. We also focus on the molecular interactions of T3SS effector proteins with host components and their signaling cascade that drives cellular subversion. Shigella, the causative agent of diarrhoea and other gut-associated diseases, invades the human colonic epithelium and avoids clearance by promoting cell death of resident immune cells in the gut. Different modalities of cell death (pyroptosis, necroptosis and cell death programs involving alternative caspases) have been linked to the killing mechanism. Although these modalities may not be mutually exclusive and may progress simultaneously, we evaluate the contribution of each program in dying cells with special focus on the T3SS dependency.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an adaptive environmental bacterium and an important opportunistic pathogen, which causes devastating acute as well as chronic, persistent infections. Due to its high ability of adaptation to different adverse environmental settings and multidrug resistance, this opportunistic pathogen poses a particular threat in public health and thus the urgency of developing new antibiotics is critical. To bypass drug resistance, we are interested in finding novel molecular mechanisms underlying virulence in P. aeruginosa. For this, we combine multiple omics data of clinical isolates with microbiological, biophysical and structural biology methodologies to elucidate structure-function relationships of novel proteins associated with virulence in P. aeruginosa.

We integrate interdisciplinary approaches to advance our understanding of the assembly and three dimensional structure of key bacterial components involved in virulence pathways and their interaction with the host responses to allow us the design of molecular drugs for the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - biochemistry, bioinformatics, physics

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - research work and lab duties

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - office software; origin, gimp or ImageJ

  ※ any specific requirements or important information
    - motivation, English is mandatory, students will participate in group seminar and journal club;

◼ Website
  - https://www.cssb-hamburg.de/research/michael_kolbe/index_eng.html

【14-C. Lina Herhaus】

◼ Research Field
  - Lina Herhaus and the “Immune Signaling” Group at HZI investigate how the immune system detects and responds to infections and inflammation. Their research focuses on molecular mechanisms like post-translational modifications, autophagy, and vesicle trafficking to understand protein quality control and immune signaling. By uncovering how cells combat pathogens and maintain health, the group aims to develop innovative therapies for infectious diseases and immune disorders, improving public health.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Cell Biology and Immunology

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Cell culture, T cell purification and culture, co-culture models, HCMV infections

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Western Blot, qRTPCR, Mass spec, microscopy

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/research-groups/details/immune-signaling/

【14-D. Jan Schlegel】

◼ Research Field
  - Our research focuses on deciphering and influencing the biological codes of pathogens at the molecular level. When we think of a pathogen, for example a single virus particle, we usually have a simplified picture in mind of what it looks like and how it is structured. However, we neglect how differently this individual particle - even with identical genetic equipment - can be structured. As these different forms of appearance influence the properties of the pathogen, it is important to understand them better in order to contain infectious diseases. The diversity of these manifestations is due to the interaction of different biological codes. Our team has set itself the task of developing new technologies to decipher these codes in order to investigate their physiological relevance and to be able to influence them. Research into these molecular codes is hampered in particular by two hurdles:
  1) the nanoscopic size of many pathogens
  2) the complexity of life cycles and interactions with their environment

The first hurdle is often solved by signal amplification through the simultaneous measurement of many pathogens (“bulk”), which, however, results in the loss of information about heterogeneity. By using high-throughput technologies with single particle resolution and advanced microscopy methods, we can detect and analyze this diversity.

To better understand the complex interactions of pathogens with their environment, we use synthetic biology methods that allow us to investigate certain questions in a defined and simplified system. For example, we can build a highly simplified artificial cell to analyze the binding behavior of viruses. By using environment-sensitive reporter molecules, we also investigate the collective biophysical properties of pathogens.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Biophysics, Advanced Microscopy, Virology, Synthetic Biology

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Cell culture, Virus particle purification, microscopy

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Clean bench, pipettes, centrifuges, microscopes, Fiji

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/code

【14-E. Dr.Andriy Goychuk】

◼ Research Field
  - We develop theoretical and computational models to improve the understanding of inflammatory responses to infection on the cell and tissue level, as well as the organization of the genome and protein assemblies in the cell nucleus. This organization is often perturbed in disease states, such as during viral infection.

The methods that we use are tailored to the research question at hand and include deterministic and stochastic models ranging from spatially resolved field theories to agent-based and well-mixed descriptions. We validate these theories in close collaboration with experiment, which also helps us to refine the model assumptions, and which sometimes provides inspiration.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - (Theoretical) Physics | Mathematics | Mathematical or Theoretical Biology | (Theoretical) Chemistry | Chemical Engineering

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - The students will pursue one of the following projects in close collaboration with me and PhD students in my group:
  1. Simulate how transcription factors bind to and deform DNA
  2. Study hydrodynamic interactions between immune cells using Finite-Element methods
  3. Study how viral reproduction and gene expression reorganizes the genome
  4. Implement vertex models of tissue dynamics

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Laptops, High-Performance Computing facilities, Python, Julia, Mathematica, C/C++

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/research-groups/details/mechanochemistry-of-inflammation/

【15-A. Dr. Christine Beemelmanns】

◼ Research Field
  - The group of Prof. Christine Beemelmanns focuses on the identification and functional analysis of novel anti-infective natural products from microbial communities. Co-cultivation studies as well as cell-based assays in combination with chemical-analytical and molecular-biological methods are used to evaluate and prioritize novel natural product producers. The group uses established and innovative metabolomic-, activity and genome-based methods to identify and determine the structure and biosynthesis of the secreted natural products. Based on the isolated novel natural substances, the functional analysis and evaluation of their range of effects is carried out.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - natural product chemistry

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - natural product chemistry

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - HPLC Purification, NMR analysis, fermentation of bacteria or fungi, mass spectrometry methods

  ※ any specific requirements or important information
    - should be able to either perform bacterial fermentation or perform natural product chemistry based purification and structural analysis

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hips.de/de/forschung/people/person/prof-dr-christine-beemelmanns/

【15-B. Dr. Tobias A.M.Gulder】

◼ Research Field
  The goal of our group is to explore the world of microbial natural products for the targeted discovery and optimization of compounds to fight infectious diseases. Using modern bioinformatic approaches and the development and application of molecular biology and biotechnology tools, we contribute to the discovery of novel bioactive substances from microbial sources. By altering the genetic pathways involved in natural product biosynthesis, we enable targeted structural optimization and improved production of these substances. We examine in detail the enzymatic processes Nature uses to build complex natural products, making particularly interesting enzymes usable in the lab, and applying them for efficient biocatalytic or chemo-enzymatic drug synthesis. Overall, our research not only enables efficient exploration of natural products, but also facilitates the systematic investigation of their biological potential beyond the structures directly accessible from Nature.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Organic chemistry and/or biochemistry and/or molecular biology or similar

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Research on discovery and biosynthesis of microbial natural products

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Full range of chemical (e.g., MPLC, HPLC, MS, NMR, etc.), microbiological (e.g., fermenters, autoclaves, clean bench, etc.), and biochemical (gel electrophoresis, protein purification, PCR, etc.) equipment and respective software.

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hips.de/de/forschung/teams/team/naturstoff-biotechnologie/

【15-C. Alexander Titz】

◼ Research Field
  - Infections are among the most pressing threats to humanity. Our reserach focuses on the medicinal chemistry and chemical synthesis of novel antiinfectives (See recent publications here https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=kJIobrcAAAAJ&hl ). The molecules you will synthesized will be analysed by you using State-of-the-art analytics device at our institute. Then, testing in biophysical assays and/or antimicrobial susceptibility testing will be employed to assess your molecules, where you will be able to assist in the assay testing.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Chemistry or Pharmacy, with Focus Organic Chemistry

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Synthesis of novel antiinfectives

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - synthesis equipment, MPLC, HPLC, mass spectrometer, NMR spectrometer

  ※ any specific requirements or important information
    - must be able to communicate verbally in English, spoken English minimum B1

◼ Website
  - www.helmholtz-hips.de

【15-D. Anna K.H.Hirsch】

◼ Research Field
  - The Hirsch group adopts a target-based rational design strategy focusing on biologically relevant, often underexplored enzymes, transporters and regulators within bacterial and parasitic pathogens. The group employs a variety of biophysical methods to investigate compound–target interactions and has established several in vitro and cell-based assays for straightforward evaluation of novel anti-infectives and multiparameter optimisation.

(Our research and approach)

The antimicrobial resistance crisis urgently calls for the development of new antibacterial agents with novel modes of action. To address this, we adopt a target-based strategy focused on a diverse portfolio of biologically relevant, underexplored drug targets, including enzymes, transporters, and regulators within bacterial pathogens. These targets can be divided into two main categories: those that impair vital mechanisms within the bacteria, leading to their death (e.g., DXPS, ECF-T, DnaN), and pathoblockers which interfere with pathogenicity and virulence without affecting bacterial viability (e.g., ColH, LasB). The pathoblockers are believed to cause a lower rate of resistance development, whilst preserving the commensal microbiota.

We employ a range of hit-identification strategies, including structure- and fragment-based drug design, virtual screening, high-throughput screening and a variety of biophysical methods. In addition, we pioneer innovative protein-templated techniques like dynamic combinatorial chemistry and kinetic target-guided synthesis, to address key bottlenecks in drug discovery. We use classical and innovative medicinal-chemistry approaches to design, synthesize and profile the most promising inhibitors, enabling efficient subsequent multipara-meter optimization. Various in vitro and cell-based assays, the generation of in silico data, elucidation of the mode of action and the co-crystallization of selected compounds with their targets support the straightforward evaluation of novel anti-infectives and their further optimization.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, biology, microbiology

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  1) design and Synthesis of several projects of inhibitors of antibacterial drug targets
  2) assay development and biological profiling of antibacterial agents

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  1) synthetic organic chemistry and analytical lab
  2) biology lab

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hips.de/en/research/teams/team/drug-design-and-optimisation/

【15-E. Dr.Mariia Nesterkina】

◼ Research Field
  - Our research focuses on the design, synthesis, and application of thermotropic liquid-crystal (LC) materials for advanced pharmaceutical and biomedical technologies. At the interface of pharmaceutical chemistry, organic chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutical technology, we develop innovative bio-based LC systems that respond to physiological stimuli and enable next-generation drug-delivery solutions.

Specifically, we create nature-inspired thermotropic liquid crystals derived from molecules such as cholesterol, plant sterols, and terpenoids.
By combining organic synthesis with modern formulation science, we engineer LC-based materials that can change their structure, optical behavior, or permeability in response to temperature or infection-related cues.

These materials are integrated into polymer-dispersed LC films, smart wound-care scaffolds, and nanofiber systems to achieve controlled, on-demand delivery of anti-infective drugs and real-time visual monitoring of wound conditions. The work spans the full development chain: from molecular design and synthesis, characterization of mesophases, and physicochemical/mechanical analysis, to drug release studies, skin-permeation experiments, and prototype fabrication.

This interdisciplinary field offers students training in:
organic synthesis of LC materials
formulation and processing of smart biomaterials
microscopy, thermal analysis, and rheology
polymer science and nanofiber fabrication
drug-delivery technologies and skin-barrier research

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biology, Microbiology

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Synthesis and basic characterization of thermotropic liquid crystals.
    Preparation and evaluation of LC-based materials, including 3D bioprinting.
    Conducting cell assays and microbiological tests.

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Organic synthesis equipment (fume hood, heating/stirring systems, distillation and purification setups)
    Thermal analysis instruments (DSC)
    Polarized light microscope for LC characterization
    3D bioprinter for fabrication of LC-based materials
    Cell culture facilities (biosafety cabinet, CO₂ incubator, microscope)
    Microbiology equipment (incubators, colony counter, spectrophotometer)

◼ Website
  - https://www.helmholtz-hips.de/en/

◼ Research Field
  1) Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots
  2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots
  3) Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots

『Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots』

[Position Overview]: We are seeking a passionate intern to assist in the development of fundamental technologies for the perceptual capabilities of humanoid robots, with a focus on robot vision using machine learning (AI) methods. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with state-of-the-art robotics technology and gain hands-on experience in vision-based intelligent locomotion and navigation. The successful candidate will Gain practical experience with state-of-the-art humanoid robots, enhance skills in machine learning, computer vision, and robotics, and contribute to pioneering research in a collaborative and dynamic setting.

[Key Responsibilities]:
• Learn and understand the existing vision and locomotion systems of DLR's humanoid robots.
• Develop and implement machine learning algorithms for object recognition and segmentation, state estimation, and simultaneous mapping and localization (SLAM).
• Contribute to the creation of real-time vision-based world representations for humanoid robots.
• Test and refine vision-based algorithms to improve robot navigation and interaction capabilities.
• Collaborate with the robotics team to integrate and optimize vision systems within the overall robot control framework. 

[Qualifications]:
• Currently enrolled in a degree program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
• Knowledge of machine learning and AI methods, with experience in relevant tools and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Familiarity with computer vision techniques and technologies.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, C++, or MATLAB.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and a keen interest in robotics and AI.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. 

『2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots』

[Position Overview]: The intern will contribute to research focused on achieving human-like, energy-efficient locomotion in bipedal robots equipped with elastic elements. Human walking and running are known to minimize metabolic and mechanical work by exploiting pendulum-like exchanges of kinetic and potential energy during walking, and elastic energy storage during running—principles rigorously characterized in the classic work of Cavagna and Kaneko on mechanical efficiency. This project aims to translate these mechanisms into robotic systems by identifying gait patterns that emerge from energy-based optimization rather than relying on predefined gait templates. The position offers hands-on experience with numerical optimization, simulation environments, and experimental validation on a hardware prototype.

[Key Responsibilities]:
• Study mechanical work and efficiency in human walking and running, with emphasis on energy exchange and elastic storage mechanisms
• Use and improve an optimization framework that generate efficient bipedal gaits by minimizing mechanical energy use.
• Develop algorithms that switch between emerging gait patterns as speed or conditions change.
• Analyze energy flow throughout the gait cycle and design cost functions that promote human-like efficiency.
• Validate optimized gaits in simulation and on existing robotic hardware.
• Evaluate locomotion performance using metrics such as cost of transport, mechanical work, and robustness across terrain.
• Document results and support dissemination in reports or publications. 

[Qualifications]:
• Enrolled in a degree program in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Programming skills in Python; familiarity with optimization, control, or machine learning is beneficial.
• Interest in human locomotion, biomechanics, compliant mechanisms, and energy-efficient motion.
• Ability to work analytically and experimentally across simulation and hardware tasks.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. 

『Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots』

[Position Overview]: The successful internship student will contribute to the development of the neck and head systems for our humanoid robots. Additionally, the intern will support improvements to other parts of the humanoid robot, such as the foot and leg mechanisms. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage in the entire process from kinematics design to hardware and software integration, gaining hands-on experience in robotics engineering and design. This will enhance skills in mechanical design, fabrication, and system integration while working in a dynamic and collaborative research environment.

[Key Responsibilities]:
• Assist in the kinematics design for humanoid and legged robots.
• Create detailed 3D CAD models of the neck, head, foot, and leg components.
• Participate in the fabrication and testing of new parts.
• Integrate hardware and software with the current humanoid system to ensure seamless operation.
• Create robot simulation environment with the robot model representations such as URDF
• Low-level software integration
• Collaborate with the robotics team to troubleshoot and optimize the neck, head, foot, and leg systems. 

[Qualifications]:
• Currently enrolled in a degree program in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Understanding of kinematics and mechanical design principles.
• Hands-on experience with fabrication and prototyping.
• Experience with 3D CAD modeling software (experience on CREO is plus), and ROS/ROS2.
• Programming skills in languages C++, and Python, and Matlab.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Please clearly indicate the interested theme in the application.
    1) Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots
    2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots
    3) Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots

『Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots』
[Qualifications]:
• Currently enrolled in a degree program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
• Knowledge of machine learning and AI methods, with experience in relevant tools and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Familiarity with computer vision techniques and technologies.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, C++, or MATLAB.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and a keen interest in robotics and AI.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

『2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots』
[Qualifications]:
• Enrolled in a degree program in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Programming skills in Python; familiarity with optimization, control, or machine learning is beneficial.
• Interest in human locomotion, biomechanics, compliant mechanisms, and energy-efficient motion.
• Ability to work analytically and experimentally across simulation and hardware tasks.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

『Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots』
[Qualifications]:
• Currently enrolled in a degree program in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Understanding of kinematics and mechanical design principles.
• Hands-on experience with fabrication and prototyping.
• Experience with 3D CAD modeling software (experience on CREO is plus), and ROS/ROS2.
• Programming skills in languages C++, and Python, and Matlab.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Please clearly indicate the interested theme in the application.
  1) Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots
  2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots
  3) Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots

『Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots』

[Position Overview]: We are seeking a passionate intern to assist in the development of fundamental technologies for the perceptual capabilities of humanoid robots, with a focus on robot vision using machine learning (AI) methods. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with state-of-the-art robotics technology and gain hands-on experience in vision-based intelligent locomotion and navigation. The successful candidate will Gain practical experience with state-of-the-art humanoid robots, enhance skills in machine learning, computer vision, and robotics, and contribute to pioneering research in a collaborative and dynamic setting.

[Key Responsibilities]:

• Learn and understand the existing vision and locomotion systems of DLR's humanoid robots.
• Develop and implement machine learning algorithms for object recognition and segmentation, state estimation, and simultaneous mapping and localization (SLAM).
• Contribute to the creation of real-time vision-based world representations for humanoid robots.
• Test and refine vision-based algorithms to improve robot navigation and interaction capabilities.
• Collaborate with the robotics team to integrate and optimize vision systems within the overall robot control framework.

 『2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots』

[Position Overview]: The intern will contribute to research focused on achieving human-like, energy-efficient locomotion in bipedal robots equipped with elastic elements. Human walking and running are known to minimize metabolic and mechanical work by exploiting pendulum-like exchanges of kinetic and potential energy during walking, and elastic energy storage during running—principles rigorously characterized in the classic work of Cavagna and Kaneko on mechanical efficiency. This project aims to translate these mechanisms into robotic systems by identifying gait patterns that emerge from energy-based optimization rather than relying on predefined gait templates. The position offers hands-on experience with numerical optimization, simulation environments, and experimental validation on a hardware prototype.

[Key Responsibilities]:
• Study mechanical work and efficiency in human walking and running, with emphasis on energy exchange and elastic storage mechanisms
• Use and improve an optimization framework that generate efficient bipedal gaits by minimizing mechanical energy use.
• Develop algorithms that switch between emerging gait patterns as speed or conditions change.
• Analyze energy flow throughout the gait cycle and design cost functions that promote human-like efficiency.
• Validate optimized gaits in simulation and on existing robotic hardware.
• Evaluate locomotion performance using metrics such as cost of transport, mechanical work, and robustness across terrain.
• Document results and support dissemination in reports or publications.

[Qualifications]:
• Enrolled in a degree program in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Programming skills in Python; familiarity with optimization, control, or machine learning is beneficial.
• Interest in human locomotion, biomechanics, compliant mechanisms, and energy-efficient motion.
• Ability to work analytically and experimentally across simulation and hardware tasks.
• Strong communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. 

『Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots』

[Position Overview]: The successful internship student will contribute to the development of the neck and head systems for our humanoid robots. Additionally, the intern will support improvements to other parts of the humanoid robot, such as the foot and leg mechanisms. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage in the entire process from kinematics design to hardware and software integration, gaining hands-on experience in robotics engineering and design. This will enhance skills in mechanical design, fabrication, and system integration while working in a dynamic and collaborative research environment.

[Key Responsibilities]:
• Assist in the kinematics design for humanoid and legged robots.
• Create detailed 3D CAD models of the neck, head, foot, and leg components.
• Participate in the fabrication and testing of new parts.
• Integrate hardware and software with the current humanoid system to ensure seamless operation.
• Create robot simulation environment with the robot model representations such as URDF
• Low-level software integration
• Collaborate with the robotics team to troubleshoot and optimize the neck, head, foot, and leg systems.

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Please clearly indicate the interested theme in the application.
    1) Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots
    2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots
    3) Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots

『Theme#1: Machine Vision for Humanoid and Legged Robots』
• Knowledge of machine learning and AI methods, with experience in relevant tools and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Familiarity with computer vision techniques and technologies.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, C++, or MATLAB.

『2) Theme#2: Emergent Energy-Efficient Gaits for Elastic Bipedal Robots』
• Programming skills in Python; familiarity with optimization, control, or machine learning is beneficial.
• Experience in robot dynamic simulators: Mujoco, Isaac Sim/Lab

『3) Theme#3: Head, Hand, and Sensory System for Humanoid Robots』
• Experience with 3D CAD modeling software (experience on CREO is plus)
• ROS/ROS2.
• Programming skills in languages C++, and Python, and Matlab.
• Hands-on experience with and 3D print fabrication and prototyping. 

※ any specific requirements or important information
  - Please clearly indicate the interested theme number in the application and describe the research plan for the selected theme.

◼ Website
  - https://www.dlr.de/en/rm

※ 16번 연구소의 경우, 지원하고자 하는 연구주제(Theme 1,2,3) 기재 필수

◼ Research Field
  - The performance of modern fuel cells and electrolyzers is controlled by complex dynamics of chemical solutions undergoing diffusion and chemical reactions on the surface of porous materials.

These systems are fascinating since many physical processes spanning from bubble nucleation to transport across porous materials occur at the same time and in an highly out-of-equilibrium environment.

Understanding the dynamics of such complex systems leads to two main outcomes:
  - improve the performance fuel cells and electrolyzers can significantly boost the energy transition that we are facing
  - provide insight into fundamental questions about the physics of out of equilibrium systems

Within my team we aim at a theoretical description of fuel cells/electrolyzers as well as confined chemical reactors in general. We pursuit these objective by a melange of techniques. Tailored molecular dynamics and Lattice Boltzmann simulations are used to tackle the microscopic details, whereas we approach the mesoscopic scale with analytical models. When needed, hybrid numerical/analytical approaches and machine learning tools are developed.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Statistical Mechanics, fluid dynamics

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - develop numerical approaches to study the reactive fkows within porous materials

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - pyhthon, Fortran

◼ Website
  - https://www.hi-ern.de/en/research/dynamics-of-complex-fluids-and-interfaces-1/dynamics-of-confined-fluids

◼ Research Field
  - The Institute of Functional Materials for Sustainability focuses on developing functional materials that enable a more sustainable future. Our research is centered on converting waste into higher value resources and designing environmentally responsible material systems.

Major research directions include:
· Biological conversion of waste using bacteria and other microorganisms to synthesize useful fuels and chemicals.
· Biodegradable plastics and sustainable polymers, including the development of eco-friendly 3D-printing materials from industrial byproducts such as lignin.
· Renewable-energy-driven recycling and upcycling, especially CO₂ conversion and the re-utilization of diverse waste streams to support circular material flows.

The institute supports the principles of a circular economy through interdisciplinary research combining chemistry, biology, materials science, and engineering. Our laboratories are equipped with extensive analytical and experimental facilities, providing a strong environment for systematic material development and performance evaluation.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - We welcome students majoring in materials science, energy engineering, chemical engineering, polymer science, or bio-related fields, etc.
    Students with a data science background are also welcome, especially for data analysis of scientific results.
    A background in electrochemistry, organic chemistry, polymers, or biotechnology is helpful.
    In particular, students with experience in electrochemistry or organic chemistry may find it easier to join our projects.

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - The specific topic will depend on the student’s major, but in general, students will work on developing technologies to convert bio-waste materials
(such as glycerol or lignin), nitrates, or carbon dioxide into value-added products using various methods.

Under the supervision of a postdoctoral researcher or PhD student, students will learn how to conduct experiments, analyze data, and understand related scientific processes.

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Our institute has a wide range of equipment required for the research areas mentioned above.
    Visiting students will receive training on the instruments and will be allowed to learn and use the equipment directly during their project.

    ※ any specific requirements or important information
      - Applicants should be able to communicate in basic English and have a motivated and proactive attitude toward research.
        We welcome students who are eager to learn and actively participate in the project.

◼ Website
  - https://www.hereon.de/institutes/functional_materials_for_sustainability/index.php.en

◼ Research Field
  - Our research group studies hazards and related surface processes across a wide range of environments, from mountain regions to coastal areas and even deep oceans, over different time scales. Our work has wide topics ranging from earthquake and tsunami, storm and hurricane, landslide and debris flow, to flood and paleo-flood. We use various tools and methods, including field surveys, remote sensing, environmental seismology methods, processes-based modelling, and data science methods, including machine learning to understand the physical processes behind all these natural hazards.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Geoscience/Physics/Data science/Computer Science

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - As an interdisciplinary and diverse research group, we can offer many opportunities for the participants with various interesting projects. There are two main types of tasks: method-development-oriented and application-oriented tasks. For a method-oriented, the participant could learn and develop physics-based machine learning methods for solving partial differential equations or investigating physics. An application-oriented participant could work on earth science or hazard-related research in the project using methods borrowing from computer vision, natural language processing, or signal processing. The participant will involve and support us in developing open-source data science model toolkits for the earth science and hazard science communities. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the projects or bring your own ideas. We specifically welcome applicants from under-presented groups and female applicants.

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - We use the High-Performance Computing infrastructure, including GPU and CPU clusters from our section, GFZ or Helmholtz association, as our main computation resource. For programming languages, we have used different mainstream languages, including Fortran, C, C++, Python, R, Matlab, and Julia, depending on the project. Regarding the data science model, we develop and use open-source platforms such as Scikit-learn, Tensorflow, and PyTorch.

    ※ any specific requirements or important information

       - The student should have experience in coding and basic Knowledge of data science.

◼ Website
  - https://www.gfz.de/en/section/earth-surface-process-modelling/overview

◼ Research Field
  - Cell Biology of Pancreatic Beta Cells

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - molecular or cell biology, biochemistry

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - determined in discussion with the student

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - determined in discussion with the student

◼ Website
  - www.islets.de

◼ Research Field
  - The diversity of cell types, tissues, and organs arises from complex interactions among genetic networks. Perturbations in these interactions can cause or drive the onset of disease, and understanding these early molecular events is essential for predicting disease trajectories and identifying opportunities for early therapeutic intervention.

To investigate these processes, we pursue an interdisciplinary approach, integrating biochemistry, molecular biology, and data science. Recently, we developed an inexpensive, do-it-yourself, high-resolution, and open-source spatial transcriptomics method, Open-ST, to quantify gene expression directly within tissue samples (Schott, Leon-Perinān, Splendiani et al., Cell; 2024, STAR Protocols). We now routinely generate spatial transcriptomics data, providing a highly informative readout of cellular communication within tissues/tumors, as well as of cellular responses to perturbations, such as disease-associated mutations, viral infections, or environmental stressors including microplastics. Computational analyses, including machine-learning strategies, are combined with experimental testing to generate and validate mechanistic insights.

We are actively working on adapting and extending open-ST, to support our specific research questions. This includes, for example, the optimization for using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, to enable the use of biobanked material, as well as the integration with long-read sequencing technologies for isoform-level analyses.

Much of our work relies on patient-derived material—supported by extensive collaborations with the Charité hospital Berlin—as well as patient-derived organoid models. Current disease areas under investigation include cancer (triple-negative breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, neuroblastoma) and neurodegenerative disorders.

Collectively, our work aims to uncover how gene regulatory processes shape human health and disease, with the goal of informing earlier and more precise strategies for disease intervention.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - RNA biology, (spatial) transcriptomics

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - The student’s research activities will focus on refining Open-ST sequencing library preparation through targeted depletion and/or selective
enrichment strategies. Open-ST is a flexible, high-resolution, and open-source spatial transcriptomics method, developed in our lab (Schott, León
Periñán, Splendiani et al., Cell, 2024; STAR Protocols, 2024). While it provides an unbiased view of a tissue’s gene expression in space, it also captures highly abundant or non-informative RNA species (e.g., rRNA, mitochondrial transcripts, non-variable genes), reducing the effective sequencing depth of more informative transcripts.

The student will survey the available depletion and enrichment strategies, together with the supervisor, and define a specific methodological focus. The project will involve testing and benchmarking selected approaches, with the aim of improving the recovery of low- and moderate-abundance transcripts that often define subtle cell states or regulatory processes.

Approaches may include probe- or bead-based depletion strategies as well as CRISPR/Cas-guided degradation. In addition to depletion, the student may explore amplicon-based enrichment approaches to increase the representation of specific transcripts within spatial cDNA libraries. For long-read sequencing of Open-ST libraries, the student may additionally evaluate Oxford Nanopore adaptive sampling, which enables real-time enrichment or depletion of molecules during sequencing. The student will assess how these depletion or enrichment steps influence overall transcript complexity, spatial barcode retention, and UMI distribution, as well as assess potential biases they may introduce.

Overall, the student’s work will contribute directly to the broader effort in the lab to increase the information content and efficiency of Open-ST libraries and will support protocol improvements currently under development.

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - The project can have a computational and/or experimental focus, depending on the student’s background and interests.

    Equipment: Cryostat, qPCR instruments, PCR cyclers, brightfield microscope, automated gel electrophoresis machine (Tapestation/Bioanalyzer), PippinHT automated agarose gel for size selection

    Software: Spacemake and openst (based on python and bash, https://github.com/rajewsky-lab/spacemake, https://github.com/rajewsky-lab/openst), Scanpy and scverse, potentially porechop for Adapter removal and demultiplexing of Oxford Nanopore reads, potentially DASHit for guideRNA design for CRISPR-depletion strategy (Dynerman, Lyden, et al., BioRxiv, 2020)

◼ Website
  - https://www.mdc-berlin.de/n-rajewsky

◼ Research Field
  - [Molecular structural dynamics using ultrafast spectroscopies]

Elementary chemical reactions in biomolecular systems occur on the femtosecond (fs) timescale, accompanied by significant structural rearrangements within the molecular framework. These reactions are initiated by optical excitation with UV/vis light, and their reactivity is strongly influenced by the molecular architecture and the surrounding environment. We investigate electronic structural dynamics using fs-resolved probing techniques, starting with tailored model systems:

1. Cis–Trans Isomerisation. Cis–trans isomerisation underlies light-sensory functions in retinal-based photoreceptors. While most chromophores absorb in the visible range, a few opsins in insects and birds respond to UV light. In contrast to the visible rhodopsins calculations indicate that triplet states of UV-sensitive opsins are nearly isoenergetic to the optically excited singlet state, which therefore should play a role in their dynamic reaction path.

2. Spin State Change in Metal-Organic complexes. Oxidation-state changes govern catalytic cycles in metalloenzymes such as hydrogenases and cytochrome complexes, tightly coupled to electron charge flow. To emulate these redox-driven processes, we study photo-excited states of Ni(II) Schiff-base-like complexes. Here, ligand substitution with electron-affine groups modulates the charge transport behaviour and access to the triplet channel, which switches the molecule’s luminescence on or off, offering potential applications including fluorescent tags.

To capture the dynamic reaction pathways, we use femtosecond-resolved spectroscopy techniques: UV/vis light probes the valence electronic structures, while X-rays probe detailed element-specific structural changes. The UV/vis measurements are conducted at home laboratories, while X-ray measurements are performed at Synchrotron/XFEL facilities.

◼ Required Research Field of Study
  - Physical chemistry, Nonlinear optics, X-Ray Spectroscopy, or similar fields

◼ Description of Research Activities During the Program
  - Femtosecond transient absorption measurements, X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements

◼ Research Equipment or Software to be Used
  - Femtosecond laser systems, Synchrotron/FEL light source facilities, python

    ※ any specific requirements or important information
      - Experience with laser system would be beneficial.

◼ Website
  - Institute website: https://desy.de/
  - Group website: https://www.physik.uni-hamburg.de/en/iexp/gruppe-bressler/personen.html