In our group of Physical Chemistry / Molecular Material Science (Physikalische Chemie
/Molekulare Materialwissenschaften at the Institut für Chemie at the Technische
Universität Berlin (TU Berlin, Germany) we have currently an opening for a three-year
PhD position (funding: 2/3 E13) funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
on the topic of Shaping of Nanotubules Formed by Amino Acid Amphiphiles.

This project is concerned with an in-depth investigation of the formation of selfassembled
nanotubes made of peptide-mimetic amphiphiles (amino acid amphiphiles,
AAAs), and involves molecular design and synthesis as well as the structural
characterisation of their aggregates. The main focus will be on the formation of
nanotubuli by these peptide amphiphiles as they constitute novel well-defined
materials of high interest for purposes of drug delivery but also their formation is of
fundamental interest for the understanding of several diseases, e.g. Alzheimers.
It is a joint project with the group of Prof. Dganit Danino (Technion, Haifa, Israel),
where the synthesis will be done by both groups in a complementary way. The main
part will be the systematic structural characterisation, mainly to be done on the TU
side by light, x-ray, and neutron scattering and by the Technion side by means of
cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM).

The Ph.D. position on the TU side shall be for a chemist or physicist having
comprehensive expertise in the field of preparation and characterization of colloidal
systems. He/she shall perform the experimental research work with a particular
emphasis on the mesoscopic characterization of the nanotubes and their formation
process by means of scattering methods (SLS, DLS, SAXS, SANS) and fluorescence
microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In addition he/she will
work on the effects of incorporating amphiphilic copolymers into the nanotubes and
thereby exerting structural and stability control by this way.

Within the period of the Ph. D. work also two or three visits to the partner institute in
Israel are foreseen in order to ensure close cooperation and becoming acquainted
with the cryo-TEM technique.

Methoden:
Scattering methods (SLS, DLS, SAXS, SANS), fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS.
From: 25. April 2013 - 3 Years

Homepage: http://www.chemie.tu-berlin.de/gradzielski/menue/stellenangebote/