We are looking for a post-doctoral researcher to work on naturally occurring and bio-inspired nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Candidates with background in biomaterials and regenerative medicine are highly encouraged to apply.

Our group has made several original contributions to naturally occurring/bio-inspired nanoparticles and unique biological propulsion mechanisms. In 2008, we discovered that ivy secretes nanoparticles for surface affixing, and that the ivy nanoparticles could be used in sunscreen to replace metal-based nanoparticles. In 2010, our group found that the highly elastic adhesive secreted from sundew plants could be used to create nano-scaffolds for tissue engineering. In 2011, our group discovered a unique multi-flagella-based swimming mechanism of Giardia, and proposed a bio-inspired efficient propulsion mechanism for micro/nano-robots. In 2012, our group discovered that the curved swimming trajectories of whirligig beetles were more energy efficient than linear trajectories, which explains why they are more often observed in nature. In 2013, our research group discovered that nanoparticles secreted from a carnivorous fungus have immunostimulatory properties and exhibit mild cytotoxicity. In 2014, we reported that T. foetus has distinct flagellar beating motions for linear swimming and turning, similar to the ‘run and tumble’ strategies observed in bacteria and Chlamydomonas, and multi-flagellated propulsion does not necessarily contribute to greater thrust generation, and may have evolved for greater manoeuvrability or sensing. Recently, our group developed an approach to produce tea nanoparticles from tea leaves for drug delivery and therapeutics. We are currently working on fungus based nanoparticles, tea nanoparticles, ivy nanoparticles, sundew inspired adhesive, and cyclic peptide based nanorobots for biomedical and defense applications.

The candidate is expected to work with team members having a diverse background, including molecular biology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science and engineering, and mathematics.

Interested candidates should send CV along with 2-3 sample publications to Mingjun Zhang at zhang.4882@osu.edu