PhD Student or Postdoc in The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry

 

The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry is one of the largest institutes of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and conducts basic research to advance knowledge and benefit society. Innovative projects and interdisciplinary cooperation characterize research within the Max Planck Society.

The Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics (Prof. Dr. Helmut Grubmüller) invites applications for a position as a PhD Student or Postdoc (f/m/d) (Code number 19-21) for the project Theory and Algorithms for Structure Determination from Ultrafast Single Molecule X‑FEL Diffraction and Fluctuation Correlation X-Ray Scattering Experiments.

The aim is to develop Bayesian methods to obtain high-resolution molecular structures and dynamics from sparse and noisy experimental data. A particular focus is to develop accurate uncertainty models to be included within the probabilistic approach.

More details.

The successful candidate has a keen interest and strong skills in computational physics and probability theory, and also a strong interest in interdisciplinary research and collaboration with experimental groups.

PhD candidates hold (or expect to complete soon) a Masters or equivalent degree; Postdocs hold a PhD or equivalent degree in any of these or a related field.

PhD students will have the opportunity to participate in one of several available PhD programs, with four years funding, in collaboration with the University of Göttingen. Masters students aiming at a fast track PhD are also welcome. The Postdoc position is limited to two years with a possibility of extension.

Payment and benefits are based on the TVöD guidelines. The starting date is flexible.

The group language is English, so no German language skills are required – but it’s a great opportunity for you to learn German!

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Interested? Submit your application including cover letter (explaining background and motivation), CV, transcripts, and publication record preferably via e-mail as one single PDF file to

ausschreibung19-21@mpibpc.mpg.de

Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Department „Theoretical and Computational Biophysics“
Prof. Dr. Helmut Grubmüller
Am Fassberg 11
37077 Göttingen
Germany

Information pursuant to Article 13 DS-GVO on the collection and processing of personal data during the application process can be found on our website below the respective job advertisement.

Postdoctoral Researcher in electrophysiology and computational neuroscience

 

The laboratory of Jean Laurens, at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Frankfurt, Germany, is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) to study head direction cells through electrophysiology and computational neuroscience in behaving Marmoset monkeys. This position is fully funded for a duration of 3 years.

The laboratory

Jean Laurens studies the neuronal processes underlying the sense of movement and spatial orientation when moving in 3D space. His lab combines mathematical modelling with neuronal recordings in Marmoset monkeys behaving freely in a 3D enclosure or moved passively in a motorized rotator. His experiments focus on the head direction cells network, that forms a ‘neuronal compass’; and on central vestibular regions that integrate inner ear signals, vision and efference copies to sense self-motion and control balance. The laboratory is part of the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, a dynamic research institute with a focus on human and non-human primate neuroscience, located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

The project

This position is part of an international project that investigates how the loss of the vestibular sensory organs affects the ability to navigate.

Within this project, our lab will seek to understand (1) how the brain learns to associate a visual landmark, for instance a distant mountain, to a certain orientation in allocentric space, and (2) how the brain recognises which elements of a visual scene are stationary and can be reliably used as landmarks. To answer these questions, the appointee will record head direction cells as well as landmark-encoding cells in the thalamic, hippocampal and cortical head direction cells network in awake Marmoset monkeys.

The candidate

Candidates should be highly motivated, hold (or be about to hold) a Ph.D., be experienced in brain electrophysiology (or calcium imaging). Candidates should also be ready to undertake a research project that includes a significant mathematical component.

Equal opportunity and diversity are important to us! All potential candidates are equally welcome and encouraged to apply, regardless of race or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The ESI offers a family friendly work environment with affordable childcare (children 3-36 months) right next door, is well accessible via public transportation and offers free parking on the institute’s premises.

How to apply

The post-doc will ideally begin in September 2021, and the position will remain opened until filled. Interested candidates are invited to send an email to Jean Laurens (jean.laurens@esi-frankfurt.de). Please send a cover letter explaining what motivates you to join the lab, a resume, and the coordinates of two scientists who can give references. The appointment is for 3 years initially (fully funded), with the possibility of extension; the salary is in accordance with the regulations for academic personnel in Germany.

PhD position | Modeling gravitational waves from merging black holes in the small-mass ratio limit

 

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) in Potsdam, Germany, announces the opening of one PhD position in the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Gravitational-Wave Astronomy in Potsdam. The latter is comprised of the AEI’s “Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity” division, the AEI’s “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” division, the University of Potsdam, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics.

For this PhD position, we are looking for a student (m/f/d) interested in modeling gravitational-waves emitted during the late inspiral, merger and ringdown of a binary black-hole coalescence in the small-mass ratio limit. The successful candidate will combine analytical techniques to solve the relativistic two-body problem with numerical simulations obtained solving the Einstein equations in the small-mass ratio limit (notably the Teukolsky equations). The results will be used to improve the next-generation waveform models, currently under development, and achieve the high precision required by upcoming LIGO and Virgo observation runs, and future detectors on the ground (Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer) and in space (LISA).

Our graduate students are exposed to a variety of research topics and have access to a world-wide research network, including international partner universities (University of Maryland and the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics at Kyoto University), the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, and the LISA consortium. Students may also participate in building the science case for third generation ground-based detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer.  

The two research divisions at the AEI operate three high-performance computer clusters to carry out source modelling and data-analysis studies, and to run numerical-relativity simulations of binary black holes, compact objects with matter, and the core collapse of massive stars.

Further details: overview and curriculum of the IMPRS and its associated research groups. Successful applicants will conduct their research projects at the AEI in Potsdam, and they will be enrolled either at the University of Potsdam or the Humboldt University in Berlin. The expected duration of the PhD program is three years, and it can be extended to four years in exceptional cases. Applicants are required to have a Master degree (or an equivalent degree) in a topic relevant for the PhD position, e.g., Physics, Mathematics or Astronomy/Astrophysics, by the start of the PhD program.

The science campus in Potsdam offers a stimulating research environment with three Max-Planck Institutes and two Fraunhofer Institutes. The city of Potsdam is home to over 40 research institutes, and is located just 30 minutes from the city center of Berlin.

Please apply via our online application portal. You will be asked to upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, your MSc thesis (if available), and a list of publications (if applicable). Applicants also need to indicate the names of three referees for recommendation letters. Referees will be notified by email on how to upload the letters.

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics is an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.

Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The deadline for full consideration is August 25th, 2021. Applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled. The expected starting date of the PhD position is as early as the Fall-Winter 2021.

Postdoc Positions at The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

 

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) in Martinsried, Munich is one of the leading international research institutions in the fields of biochemistry, cell and structural biology and biomedical research. With about 30 scientific departments and research groups and about 800 employees, the MPIB is one of the largest institutes of the Max Planck Society.

Postdoc Positions (f/m/d) are available in the Department of Cell and Virus Structure to work with Dr John Briggs.

1. Computational methods for cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging

Projects are available to develop a theoretical and practical framework to understand how to collect optimized cryo-electron tomography data; and to further develop an image-processing toolbox for subtomogram averaging in collaboration with the group of Sjors Scheres. You should have a PhD in a relevant subject (physics, computational sciences, biophysics or similar) and a strong interest in the theory and methods of cryo-electron microscopy and image processing. Experience in computer programming is required.

2. Structural studies of enveloped viruses

Projects are available addressing the structure and the assembly mechanisms of enveloped viruses including influenza A, HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, primarily by applying cryo-electron microscopy and tomography methods. You should have a PhD in a relevant subject (Biophysics, virology, computational sciences, structural biology or similar), relevant experience in virology and/or structural biology, and a strong interest in virus structure. Expertise in cryo-electron microscopy would be an advantage.

3. Mechanisms of membrane trafficking vesicle assembly

The research team have a long standing interest in the mechanisms of vesicle coats including COPI, COPII, clathrin/APs and retromer. Projects are available studying the structures, the assembly mechanisms, and the regulation of the protein coats of membrane trafficking vesicles, in collaboration with David Owen (CIMR, University of Cambridge). You will make use of biochemical techniques (protein production and characterisation, lipid work, in-vitro reconstitution etc) and structural techniques (primarily cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, crystallography if appropriate). You should have a PhD in a relevant subject (biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, structural biology or similar), relevant experience in biochemistry and/or structural biology, and a strong interest in cellular mechanisms and protein structure.

The initial contract will be for two years, with the possibility for extension.

The salary level will be according to TVöD (Bund) (public salary scale). The initial appointment for all positions are for two years with the possibility for extension.

The Max-Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

For further information about the MPIB, please visit https://www.biochem.mpg.de/en . Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr. John Briggs (briggs@biochem.mpg.de).

Have we aroused your interest? Please submit your application documents (pdf-files) via our
online application website by 16. July, 2021.

Postdoctoral fellow position for advanced materials for soft robotics

 

Soft robotics is a relatively new subfield of robotics that deals with constructing robotic functions from compliant materials. Soft technologies and integrated soft systems can revolutionize the use of robotic devices, for instance in applications where elastic versatility and safe human/machine interactions are needed. It is predicted, and certainly has the potential, to lead to the development of radically new generations of machines. The examples are numerous. In the medical world, they will increasingly assist surgery, in-vivo therapeutic treatments or contribute to the rehabilitation of disabilities by exoskeletons. Soft robotic functions have the perspective to enhance the communication between man and machine or between machines mutually. We foresee that we can make materials that can feel, sense, behave and act as human skins, but with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy. They can be used as stand-alone and autonomous devices, but also be applied as coating or integrated with electronics or even with biological material to perform functions not accessible otherwise. And as a long-term perspective one can foresee the development of evolutionary self-developing soft robotics following nature’s approach to intelligent soft machines.

Projects description
In our research team we develop responsive materials that address the advancing needs in specialized medicine, man-machine communication and miniaturized mechanics. Smart soft materials are in potential capable to fill in gaps in present technologies and to generate new, specialized functions making use of their ability to adapt their shape, to comply to confined and sensible spaces and to provide their functional duty on location.

A key aspect of our projects is to translate molecular effects to macroscopic phenomena which, in turn translate into (robotic) devices. Consequently, the approach to successfully develop new robotic functions adapted to their field of application must be multidisciplinary, containing all the aspects from materials design/development, photonics, electronics and mechanics. In the material, the various molecular functions are brought together, and the soft robot is given a body, which can be as simple as a thin film actuator or coating, but also be complex consisting of a composite of materials in an accurate three-dimensional shape. It brings organic and inorganic materials together in hybrid materials, built around soft electronics.  More information can be found at www.danqingliu.nl.

Job requirements

We are looking for a talented, motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher who meet the following requirements:

• Background in chemical engineering, physics, mechanical engineering, materials science, electric engineering or bioengineering.
• Prior knowledge in soft matters, responsive materials and experience in microscopic techniques and device fabrication/ characterization are appreciated.
• Ability to independently work within a dynamic team and multidisciplinary research environment.
• Fluent in spoken and written English

Conditions of employment

• 
  
  A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for one year with possibility to extend another year or two.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• A gross monthly salary and benefits in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• A broad package of fringe benefits (including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes).
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
dr. Danqing Liu, d.liu1[at]tue.nl

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact ms. P.J. van de Weijer,
HR-advisor, p.j.v.d.weijer[at]tue.nl

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• List of five self-selected ‘best publications’.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. 
The selection of applicants and the job interviews will start immediately until we find a suitable candidate.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way. Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

For this vacancy we will recruit simultaneously both internal as external. In the case of equal suitability internal candidates take priority over external candidates.

An assessment can be part of the selection procedure. Acquisition as a result of this advertisement is not appreciated.

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Prestigious PhD Student Position in beyond-5G mm-Wave Antenna Systems

 

Our society is on the brink of a new age with the development of new visionary concepts such as internet of things, smart cities, autonomous driving and smart industries. This stimulates the use of the mm-wave frequencies up to 100 GHz to support much higher data rates and to increase the capacity of mobile wireless communication systems to enable future beyond-5G infrastructure. This requires new system concepts such as Distributed Massive Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (DM-MIMO) in which instead of a single base-station, the cell is covered by multiple remote antenna stations, all connected to a central unit. To overcome existing limitations, such as poor power efficiency and poor signal quality, MyWave focuses on an innovative antenna system concept utilizing both silicon and III-V semiconductor technologies, advanced signal processing concepts and radio-over-fibre interconnect between a central unit and the remote antenna stations.

MyWave establishes a unique and well-structured training network with leading R&D labs from European industries, universities and technology institutes in the domain of wireless infrastructure and a proven track-record in joint collaborations. The 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) will form a research team that is embedded in leading industrial and academic R&D labs. This will bridge the gap between the various disciplines by uniting their research efforts to solve the challenges. More information about open PhD project is provided in the appendix.

Training programme:
MyWave will provide the PhD students with a comprehensive set of theoretical and practical skills relevant for innovation and long-term employability in a rapidly growing sector. This highly innovative training will cover several inter-disciplinary areas as shown in the figure below. Each PhD student will be enrolled in a doctoral programme and is jointly supervised by supervisors from the academic and industry sector. Each PhD student will do a secondment of 18 months abroad at one of the industrial partners.

Job requirements

Applicants should have, or expect to receive, a Master of Science degree or equivalent in a relevant electrical engineering or applied physics discipline and should not have more than four years of research experience. In addition to the formal ESR qualifications, selection is also based on the performance of the candidates in other works (e.g. thesis and advanced level courses), as well as through interviews and assignments. Besides good subject knowledge, emphasis will be on creative thinking, motivation, ability to cooperate, initiative to work independently and personal suitability for research training. Previous experience in the area of antennas, electronics and signal processing as well as proficiency in using scientific and engineering software packages such as Matlab, ADS, etc. are advantageous. For the PhD positions the EU ‘Mobility rules’ apply. This means that candidate students cannot have resided for more than
12 months during the period of 3 years immediately before the start of the PhD, in the prospective host country (Example: a candidate student who has stayed in The Netherlands for more than 12 months in the last 3 years cannot be hired by the university in The Netherlands).

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
prof. Bart Smolders (a.b.smolders[at]tue.nl), dr. Sander Bronckers (l.a.bronckers[at]tue.nl) and prof. Ulf Johannsen (u.johannsen[at]tue.nl).

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact HRServices.flux[at]tue.nl.

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it.
Screening will continue until the position has been filled.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

APPLY NOW

Assistant Professor Big Data and Transportation

 

We are on the verge of digital society which comes with the omni-presence of information and communication technology.  Modern communication technology also led to new platform economies. Platforms easily bring together different stakeholders in an integrated setting and assist in organizing business transactions. Car-sharing services are nowadays often based on a platform that keeps track of available cars and allows subscribers to make reservations and pay through traditional bank and credit card channels and modern equivalents such as PayPal, bitcoin, Apple pay, etc. Ride sharing services such as Uber are based on the same technology and business principle. The latest development in this context is the Mobility-as-a-Service concept, in which subscribers can use different transportation modes available in the bundle using discounted fares.

In order to operate the above innovative mobility options optimally, stakeholders collect data of different kinds on use and position of their transport supplies and movement patterns of citizens by gadgets installed on the vehicles as well as tracking smart cards swiping. Similarly, city authorities collect various types of data over time such as traffic flow, emission and so on. Likewise, telecommunication providers have massive amount of data on mobile internet usage and calls which can also be used to shed light on the mobility of citizens. Since these data are typically collected over a long period of time and lacks detailed information, they are sometimes referred to as “long and thin” data.

While a tremendous amount of data is collected on the daily basis, without knowledge of how to use this data for planning, design and operating of our built environment in more efficient ways and along citizens’ need, the effort in collecting those data will be in vein. Traditional travel demands forecasting models have typically been developed on travel surveys collected at the national level. Such data collection is becoming increasingly obsolete due to the high cost and low response rate especially when long term data (multiple days/ weeks) is desired. In this context it is essential to leverage big data in updating such demand forecasting models by exploiting its strength and avoiding its shortcomings (lack of details).

The use of mobility big data for planning and forecasting purposes requires dedicated knowledge on data analysis methods (data mining, deep learning, unsupervised and semi-supervised learnings) and their relations with the statistical methods used traditionally for the analysis of survey data (discrete choice analysis, conjoint analysis). Such knowledge can purposedly contribute to the development or update of decision support tools. Tools which can serve multitude of purposes, from long term to mid and short term planning. Optimum locations of newly built charging stations,  shared vehicles relocation strategies, optimum dynamic pricing for electricity, demand for the first and last mile mobility options in high temporal and spatial resolution, among others, can then be devised, supported by a data driven decision tools. To be able to realize the above purposes, the candidate should have a proven background on the following areas:

• Data mining methods to analyse mobility big data
• Travel demand forecasting models, including tour based and activity based models
• Discrete choice methods and conjoint analysis
• Stated choice experiment design

In addition to research, the candidate is expected to be highly involved in the educational tasks. The candidate is expected to contribute to teaching and supervision of courses in the Bachelor of Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences (AUBS) and Master of Architecture, Building and Planning (APB). Courses such as “Big data for urban analysis”, “Smart urban environments” and “mobility and logistic” among others need to be supported by the candidate. To that end, the applicant must have a track record in teaching and supervising of Bachelor and Master students.

Job requirements

• You hold a PhD Degree in the field of urban or transportation planning or in a related field;
• You have demonstrated your research skills by means of publications in reputed journals and conference proceedings.
• You have gained international experience and collaborated internationally on the vacancy topic.
• You can create a vibrant and effective learning environment and have the ability to motivate students both in research-based and challenge-based types of education (academic proficiency and design and engineering attitude).
• You have a track record in teaching and supervising students.
• You have a supportive international network in academia and industry, which will help you to acquire research funding.
• You have a good command of English, both orally and in writing.
• You are able to work collaboratively as well as independently.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the autonomy to develop your own research line and participate in the curriculum of the department;
• A Tenure Track of five years with the prospect of becoming an Associate Professor. After a maximum of four years, the tenure decision will be made. If you have a more senior profile, you will receive a tailor-made career proposal.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs for academic leadership, the university teaching qualification program, research and valorization competences, and a dedicated mentoring program to help you get to know the university and the Dutch (research) environment;
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities; salary is based on knowledge and experience;
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary;
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes;
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as the Dual Career Opportunity program to support accompanying partners, an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

For further information on this vacancy you can contact prof.dr. Soora Rasouli, phone number
+(31)40–45273315, e-mail: s.rasouli[at]tue.nl.

For information concerning employment conditions click here or contact Marcel Vogels,
phone number +31 (0)40 247 3144, e-mail: m.vogels1[at]tue.nl

Application:
If you are interested in this position, you can only use the 'apply now'-button on this page.

Your application must contain the following documents:​​

• Cover letter (2 page max), which includes a motivation of your interest and an explanation of why you meet the job requirements (see above).
• Detailed Curriculum vitae,
• Copy (or a most recent draft version) of your MSc thesis.
• Transcripts of academic records indicating courses taken, including grades,
• Contact details of two references (e-mail, phone number).

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

APPLY NOW

PhD in 3D Printing Artificial Cells

 

Bio-Organic Chemistry Group: Our ambition is to create hybrid cells and organelles that can be used to mimic and adjust cellular processes. We employ expertise from polymer science, nanotechnology and cell biology to achieve our goals. Are you the enthusiastic PhD student that fits in our group of excellent researchers? Are you fascinated by the scientific challenge of building up lifelike systems, from the bottom-up, using non-living components?

The research of the group Bio-organic Chemistry focuses on compartmentalization strategies to construct micro and nanocapsules which can be applied in the areas of nanomedicine and artificial cell research. We design smart delivery vehicles that for example cross the blood brain barrier or are used in cancer therapy. We use nanoparticles as scaffolds for vaccine development. We construct capsules with life-like properties, such as metabolism, organelle-mimetic behavior and cell growth and motility. In our research we combine techniques from protein engineering, polymer chemistry and bioconjugation approaches to create particles with bioactive properties.

Further information on the research interests of Prof. Jan van Hest can be found on their website. https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/bio-organic-chemistry/

Job Description
A PhD position is open in the Artificial Cell cluster of the research group, where your project will be focused on 3D printing artificial cells. Working alongside a team of other PhD students and postdocs, your main goal will be to develop techniques that will enable the 2D and eventually 3D patterning of artificial cells into artificial tissues. This is an exploratory project that will utilize our existing coacervate-based protocell platform to build up arrays of protocells with fine control over their contents, size, and positioning. Such control will enable the construction of the next generation of complex, multi-component, adaptive artificial tissues. There are opportunities in this project to examine both the fundamentals of diffusion-based molecular communication, as well as the application of this technology to biomedical challenges such as organoid culturing.

In this project, you will be expected to develop expertise in 3D printing of artificial cells, characterize these artificial tissues via light and electron microscopy, and collaborate with other members of the Artificial Cell cluster to incorporate new functionalities into the artificial tissues. This project could also include the chemical modification of protocell membranes, the modelling of diffusion via computational methods, and interactions with external academic/commercial collaborators. Your training over 4 years will also include the communication of your results to a broad range of audiences via oral presentations and written research (peer-reviewed publications and a doctoral thesis).

Job requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Chemistry, Materials Science, Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Microfabrication, Additive Manufacturing, or related.
• A research-oriented attitude with research project experience in at least one of the above disciplines.
• A demonstrated knowledge of at least 2 of the following: surface chemistry, supramolecular chemistry/self-assembly, polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, microscopy, rheology, cell culture/molecular biology
• Ability to work in a team, communicate effectively, conduct research creatively and independently, and initiate/foster collaborations.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (
  
  PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
Jan van Hest, j.c.m.hest[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 3515.

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact 
Sascha Sanchez, HR advisor, s.j.m.g.sanchez.van.oort[at]tue.nl, +31 40 247 7310 or 
HRServices, hrservices.gemini[at]tue.nl, +31 40 247 3161

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

APPLY NOW

PhD on the Design and Development of Microfluidic Brain-on-Chip AI Computers

 

The Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute (EAISI) is funding 2 PhD positions for the highly innovative BayesBrain project, in collaboration with the departments of

• Mechanical Engineering,
• Biomedical Engineering,
• Electrical Engineering, and
• Mathematics and Computer Science.

The challenging goal of the project is to design a hybrid neural/in-silico AI computer which leverages the computation of neural cultures hosted on a microfluidic Brain-on-Chip device to solve real-world AI problems. The hybrid AI computer will consist of an in-silico Bayesian control agent and a Brain-on-Chip device, which shall communicate via the common principle of Free Energy Minimization (FEM).

The announced PhD position focuses on the hard-ware development of microfluidic Brain-on-Chip devices and interfaces to in-silico control agents for the purpose of building a hybrid AI computer. For this position, a critical reflection on biomaterials, electrically embedded microfluidic platforms, integrated multi electrode arrays, and fast and high-quality data acquisition systems is required. The successful candidate will design innovative ways to create microfluidic platforms and will have a central role in building the hardware of the hybrid AI system. Furthermore, the techniques developed will be usable for material and toxicity screening, drug development and individualized care and cure. The successful candidate will be hosted at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and co-supervised by Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Paired with the announced position is a second PhD position hosted at the Electrical Engineering department and co-supervised by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The second PhD candidate will focus on the development of in-silico Bayesian control agents via probabilistic programming. The two PhD students will collaborate closely to achieve the final goal of developing a hybrid neural/in-silico AI computer. In particular, the two PhD students will work together on the development of interfaces between the in-silico Bayesian control agent and the Brain-on-Chip device.

The preferred starting date of this position is October 2021.

Job requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Microfabrication, with excellent grades
• Prior experience with microscopy techniques and cell cultures
• A research-oriented demeanour
• Ability and aspiration to work in a multi-disciplinary team, combining material science, neuroscience, and probabilistic machine learning
• Excellent command of written and spoken English

Prior experience with thin layer deposition and metrology techniques is a plus.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (
  
  PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
dr. Regina Luttge, r.luttge[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 5235 or dr. Burcu Gumuscu Sefunc, b.gumuscu[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 8373.

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact HRServices.gemini[at]tue.nl.

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• a cover letter explaining your motivation and suitability for the position
• a detailed curriculum vitae
• a written scientific report in English (MSc thesis, traineeship report or scientific paper)
• copies of diplomas with course grades (transcripts)

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

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