Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 13 000 students, 400 professors, and more than 4 500 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems at the Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering is presently looking for a

Postdoctoral Researcher in the Area of Biohybrid Materials

We are looking to fill a postdoctoral researcher position in the Biohybrid Materials (Prof. Mauri Kostiainen) research group. Our laboratory is situated on the campus of Aalto University in Otaniemi within the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems. Our research is funded through the European Research Council (ERC), and we are part of the Finnish Academy Center of Excellence (CoE) on Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials and Gene, Cell and Nano Therapy Flagship. CoEs and Flagships are the forerunners of Finnish research.

We offer a multidisciplinary research environment at the forefront of biomaterials science, maintained laboratory space and excellent equipment pool. The group’s research interests include for example: self-assembly of viral and synthetic nanoparticles, functional DNA origami nanostructures and lignocellulosic nanomaterials. For more information on the research, please see the group web page http://chemtech.aalto.fi/bihy

Research topics of the position include:

1. Chemical virology - you will develop design strategies and fabrication methods to produce new type of protein cages based on virus capsid, study their assembly, cargo packaging and release. Folded mRNA and DNA structures will be studied as templates and delivery targets.
2. Life-inspired hybrid materials - you will take inspiration from living organisms as adaptable and dynamic soft matter to prepare for example multiresponsive materials, nonequilibrium conditions for emergent functionalities or systems to connect living and non-living structures. Your target is to advance new material concepts such as, adaptation, mechano-responsiveness and memory functions.

Requirements

As a successful applicant, you should be highly motivated in experimental science and have a background and a recently obtained doctoral degree (within the last five years) in chemistry, biosciences, physics or a closely related field. Solid skills for example in protein engineering, structural DNA nanotechnology, organic synthesis or polymer chemistry as well as related characterization techniques are an additional advantage.

What we offer

The position will be filled for 2 years (extension negotiable). The expected starting salary of a postdoctoral researcher is approximately 3900-4100 EUR/month depending on experience.

How to apply

If you want to join our community, please submit your application materials in English through our online recruitment system at your earliest convenience and no later than 29.09.2024 using the link on Aalto University’s webpage (“Apply now”). If you are an Aalto employee, please apply via Workday system (internal jobs).

Application material should include:

•  A letter of motivation (max. one A4)
•  CV (including a list of publications)
• Transcript of university studies
• Possible letters of recommendation

The position is available immediately and will be filled when a suitable candidate is found.

For more information

Please see http://chemtech.aalto.fi/bihy for more information about the research groups or contact Professor Mauri Kostiainen (mauri.kostiainen@aalto.fi).

Want to know more about us and your future colleagues? You can watch these videos: Aalto University - Towards a better world, Aalto People, and Shaping a Sustainable Future. You can also check out our webpage about Aalto and Finland: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/welcome-to-aalto-university-and-finland-info-package and our new virtual campus experience:  https://virtualtour.aalto.fi/.

About Finland

Finland is a great place for living with or without family - it is a safe, politically stable, and well-organized Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was just listed again as the happiest country in the world: https://worldhappiness.report/news/its-a-three-peat-finland-keeps-top-spot-as-happiest-country-in-world/. For more information about living in Finland: For international staff | Aalto University 

Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

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