PhD Position in Physical Chemistry: Biosensing Using Colourful Liquid Crystals

There is an urgent need in biosensor innovation to make them fast, affordable, sensitive, and specific. Liquid crystals are able to optically respond to the presence of biomolecules and have properties that can address these requirements. In this project, we will use advanced microscopy and microfluidics to study how the colour-changing signals of chiral liquid crystals depend on target biomolecules. We will examine how the molecular shape of the target molecule impacts the chiral ordering and colour.

Your job
In this interdisciplinary and collaborative project, you work with another PhD candidate, who is embedded in the group of Siddharth Deshpande (EmBioSys Lab) at Wageningen University. You will use microscopy, spectroscopy and lab-on-a-chip technologies to study how chiral liquid crystals allow for colour-changing signals depending on the nature and the concentration of target, amphiphilic biomolecules. Through systematic characterisation of their optical responses, you advance the promising field of cholesteric liquid crystals as sensitive, specific, and quantitative biological sensors. Beyond the innovation of biosensors, the project findings will shed light on chiral organisation in crowded environments, of relevance to biological systems. More specifically, in this role you will:

• image amphiphile assemblies at the interface of a cholesteric liquid crystal using stimulated emission depletion microscopy;
• analyse the dynamics of lipids at the interface a cholesteric liquid crystal with varying chemical characteristics and within varying lipid populations;
• develop lithographic and microfluidic techniques to shape liquid crystals into stable thin films and emulsions;
• study the structure of cholesteric liquid crystals using combined polarisation and fluorescence imaging methods, correlating the structure to the optical response;
• examine functionalised lipids on cholesteric liquid crystals in order to construct an ELISA-type biosensor.

This PhD position is a part of the NWO-M2 grant in joint collaboration with Siddharth Deshpande, embedded within the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, and situated at Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

We are looking for a collaborative and enthusiastic new colleague who meets several or all of the following criteria:

• You have an MSc degree (or equivalent) in (bio)physics, soft matter, nanotechnology, physical chemistry, or a related field.
• You have a strong affinity for interdisciplinary research and the capacity to dive into unexplored areas.
• You have good communication and presentation skills.
• You have an excellent command of the English language (C1 level).
• Prior experience in liquid crystals, microfluidics, microscopy, image analysis, programming and coding is a plus.

• A position for 18 months, with an extension to a total of four years upon successful assessment in the first 18 months;
• a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

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The research project will be carried out in the team of dr. Lisa Tran, as part of the Soft Condensed Matter & Biophysics research section at the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science. The Tran group is comprised of diverse, interdisciplinary, and enthusiastic scientists. Together, we strive to uncover the fundamental organising principles of soft and biological materials, with a special focus on liquid crystals. Being part of the Soft Condensed Matter & Biophysics section means that we regularly interact and collaborate with soft matter experimental and theoretical research groups of the highest caliber. Our research section has advanced experiment facilities including high resolution microscopes, wet chemistry labs, and an ML1 biology lab. The Debye Institute community is comprised of physics and chemistry groups that perform fundamental physical chemistry and chemical physics research for a sustainable society. The Debye Institute holds regular social events and research schools for PhD candidates.

For more information, please contact dr. Lisa Tran at l.tran@uu.nl.

Do you have a question about the application procedure? Please send an email to science.recruitment@uu.nl.

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the 'apply now' button. Please enclose:

• your motivation letter;
• your curriculum vitae, with the contact details of at least two referees.

If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.