Thesis Project — Chemical Derivatization of Clinical Samples for In situ Proteomic Analysis
Chemical derivatization of FFPE tissues enables targeted modification of molecules in fixed clinical samples to improve detection and spatial analysis by mass spectrometry.
Project overview
This project focuses on method development to enrich and map post-translational modifications (PTMs) directly in FFPE tissue sections, with the goal of translating spatial proteomic readouts into clinically relevant biomarkers. You will develop and optimize chemical derivatization workflows, combine them with mass spectrometry imaging, and analyse spatial proteomic datasets to evaluate performance on clinical tissue specimens.
Who we are looking for
- Passionate about method development and data analysis
- Prior understanding of organic chemistry (practical or coursework)
- Available for on-site lab work 2–3 days per week at the Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich (TUM)
- Self-motivated, organised, and able to work independently on experimental and computational tasks
What you will gain
- Hands-on experience in mass spectrometry imaging
- Solid knowledge in spatialomics
- Insights into tumor pathology
- Understanding of method development in molecular research