Undergraduates & Masters
The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) aims to provide highly motivated undergraduate and master students the opportunity to conduct research at the CRG. The goal is to encourage students (from all nationalities) in the pursuit of a scientific career giving them the prospect to get experience in an international laboratory while improving their skills.
The CRG is a center of excellence with international teams representing a broad range of disciplines, with first class core technologies to support the research projects, a wide range of seminars given by high-profile invited speakers, and courses on complementary and transferable skills integrated with the training programme.
We accept applications throughout the year for any type of internship with a learning agreement with your university. Have a look at our labs and research programmes and contact the Group Leader of your choice directly with the following documents attached:
- Motivation letter
- CV
- Reference letter
- University transcripts
Acceptance will depend on the capacity of the research group and the ongoing projects.
We host online events and workshops to inform you about various opportunities available at the CRG and guide you on how to search for PhD positions. If you are keen to learn more, please check HERE.
Below are some fellowships available for the academic year 2025/2026:
All CRG labs are open to host Master’s and Bachelor’s students throughout the year. In addition, we are pleased to offer 10 fellowship opportunities across different research projects. Each project will remain open until the right candidate is selected, giving motivated students the opportunity to become part of our vibrant research community and contribute to cutting-edge science.
Fellowships Conditions:
- Stipend: 600€/month/gross – up to 5 months
- Travel support: Return ticket (up to 800€/non European flights / up to 300€ for European flights)
- Eligibility: The fellowship can only be given to new recruits, not students already at the CRG
- Timing: The fellowship needs to be given within the 2025/2026 academic year
Application Procedure:
Read carefully the projects below and, if interested, contact the project supervisor and group leader. Please include the following documents in your application:
- Motivation letter
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Reference letter
- University transcripts
Evolutionary Processes Modeling - WEGHORN Lab
PROJECT DESCRIPTION - Uncovering the variations in mutational signature exposures across the human cancer genome
Cancer | Mutations | Mutagenesis | Mutational Signatures | Multivariate Analysistion
Cancer arises due to the accumulation of a critical number of driver mutations that confer cells with aberrant survival advantages. Mutagenesis is, however, a random phenomenon that results from the superposition of distinct mutagenic processes. Different processes leave different footprints in the cancer genome in terms of the type of mutations that they cause. Mutational signature analysis has proved to be useful for deconvolving exogenous and endogenous processes causing specific patterns of mutations across many different cancer types. Classic analysis focuses on the pool of mutations observed everywhere in the genome. However, the action of different mutagenic processes might be modulated differently depending on the specific genomic region and its properties. Previous studies have considered the impact of some epigenetic factors on mutational processes. Here, we aim to expand on this to more precisely probe the drivers of variations in signature intensity. This will provide a more comprehensive view of the modulators of mutational signatures in human cancer.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are seeking a motivated student with a strong background in quantitative sciences such as computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, or statistics. Candidates from life sciences (biology, medicine, etc.) are also encouraged to apply, provided they have proven experience in computational or bioinformatics projects. The ideal profile combines expertise from both areas, bridging quantitative and life sciences.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send all required documents mentioned above to the PI and Miguel Ángel Cortes - HERE
Mechanics of Organelle Remodeling - AL JORD Lab
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Cytoskeletal Forces | RNA Processing | Biomimetic Reconstitution | Mechanobiology
Mechanobiology has shown how external forces shape cell behaviour, but the influence of intracellular forces—especially those generated by the cytoskeleton—remains largely unexplored. This project investigates the idea that cytoskeletal forces can directly impact the nucleus by mechanically stirring the nucleoplasm and thereby enhancing RNA processing.
The student will help develop an innovative in vitro platform that reconstitutes active cytoskeletal networks in cell-sized microwells. By combining isolated nuclei or synthetic nucleus-like vesicles with fluorescent RNA reporters, this system will allow real-time tracking of RNA processing under controlled mechanical inputs. The goal is to uncover how intracellular mechanics regulate gene expression, opening new perspectives on genome regulation and shedding light on disease mechanisms, particularly in cancer where both the cytoskeleton and RNA metabolism are frequently altered.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
The ideal candidate should have a strong interest in image analysis and coding, with some experience in Python, or equivalent tools. A background in cell or molecular biology and familiarity with wet lab techniques (e.g., microscopy, RNA handling) would be a strong plus, but not strictly required. Most importantly, the student should be curious, motivated, and open to working in an interdisciplinary environment at the interface of mechanobiology and RNA processing.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send all required documents mentioned above to the PI and Pierre Bercier - HERE
Single cell genomics and evolution - SEBÉ-PEDRÓS Lab
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Chromatin | Evolution | Transcription | Transposons | Proteomics | Phylogenetics | Biochemistry
In the Sebé-Pedrós lab, we study how chromatin regulation has evolved across the eukaryotic tree of life. Building on our recent work characterizing the diversity of histone post-translational modifications using phylogenomics, proteomics, and an innovative ChIP-seq method, we now aim to uncover the functional crosstalk between chromatin “readers” and “writers.”
This project will combine molecular phylogenetics, proteomics, chromatin profiling, and biochemical approaches. The master student will play an active role in generating new datasets and, importantly, in the computational integration of epigenomic data. The ultimate goal is to advance our understanding of how eukaryotic chromatin states and components have diversified and evolved.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are looking for a candidate with experience in at least one of the following fields: phylogenetics, proteomics, genomics, or iochemistry. The ideal candidate is pursuing a Master’s in Biology, Biochemistry, or related disciplines, with a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biomedicine, or a related field. They should have basic molecular biology skills, some knowledge of chromatin and evolution, and programming skills in R or other scripting languages (Python/Perl). Additionally, the candidate should demonstrate a strong desire to expand their scientific knowledge and skillset and possess a collaborative and friendly attitude. Optional but desirable skills include experience in omics data generation, sterile culturing, and utilising HPC clusters.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send all required documents mentioned above to the PI and Sean Montgomery - HERE
Systems & Synthetic Biology - MARTIN Lab
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Mathematical Modeling | Computational Simulations | Evolution | Genotype-Phenotype Maps | Fitness Landscapes
Evolution is a process guided by two main components: natural selection and phenotypic variation through random mutations. Our group is interested in this second aspect of gaining a quantitative understanding of variation with the aim of improving evolutionary predictions. This is needed to tackle a broad range of challenges including antibiotic resistance, loss of biodiversity, or to optimize the search of functional synthetic proteins . For this, we use concepts from the fields of genotype-phenotype (GP) maps and fitness landscapes. Our work includes understanding how mutations in the genotype give rise to molecular changes in the phenotype by developing different models of GP maps (RNA secondary structure, protein self-assembly…) through computational methods. From these GP maps we can retrieve statistical properties like mutational robustness, phenotype frequency or evolvability (…) and analyze how they influence the dynamics of an evolving population. We are also interested in looking at how phenotype fitness is distributed on the GP map by building more comprehensive GPF (genotype-phenotype-fitness) maps, and retrieve other important features from them such as the distribution and accessibility of fitness peaks in the landscape. A potential master project would be making a network analysis of simple GPF maps to compare their complexity with more randomized networks. According to the student’s preference, the project could also involve developing new mathematical models of fitness distribution to make more realistic maps.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are looking for a motivated student with coding experience, ideally in Python, and a solid foundation in mathematics, including probability, statistics, calculus, and algebra. The candidate may come from a background in maths, physics, or engineering with a strong interest in biology, or from biology with a strong interest in quantitative approaches.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send all required documents mentioned above to the PI and Manuela Giraud - HERE
Contact
For any further questions, please contact
CRG Training & Academic Office
Centre de Regulació Genòmica
Dr. Aiguader, 88
PRBB Building
08003 Barcelona
training@crg.eu