The recently established National Center of Competence in Research for Bio-Inspired Stimuli-Responsive Materials (www.bioinspired-materials.ch) strives to become an internationally recognized hub for paradigm-shifting research, innovation, and education in the domain of “smart” materials whose function and design are inspired by Nature. Transcending traditional disciplines, the center will integrate the research activities of initially fourteen research groups from the University of Fribourg’s Adolphe Merkle Institute, its departments of chemistry, medicine, and physics, and partners at the University of Geneva and the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and Lausanne (EPFL).

Position and Requirements
To complete the research team of Profs. Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser/Alke Fink at the Adolphe Merkle Institute, we search for a highly motivated and talented PhD student who is interested and capable of working in a strongly interdisciplinary environment combining nanomaterial chemistry, biochemistry or biomedical engineering, respectively.
The project aims at designing and modulating model inorganic nanoparticles to study their interaction with biomolecules of body fluids, in addition to their interaction with biological cells, in particular with respect to uptake mechanism, cell response, and interacellular trafficking.
The project involves synthesis and characterization of highly complex inorganic nanoparticles and their behavior in complex biological systems. As such, it relies on a variety of analytical techniques, both from the material and the biological field. We aim at attracting the best talent in the respective research field and expect an outstanding university master's/ diploma degree (or equivalent) in physical chemistry/material science (AMI-AF-003a) OR biochemistry/biomedical engineering (AMI-AF-003b) first research experience, preferably in the field, and a strong analytical background.
We are looking for collaborators with an independent, target- and solution-driven work attitude, inter- and multidisciplinary thinking & strong motivation and interest to join an ambitious interdisciplinary research cluster. an independent, target- and solution-driven work attitude.

You will be joining a team of enthusiastic scientists who creatively pursue their research agenda by the cluster's innovative approach and support. We offer a cutting-edge research project, excellent research facilities,full funding,supporting curriculum with many optional courses & International environment with English as the working language

Application Procedure
Please send your complete documentation to:
Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Rte de l’ancienne papeterie, P.O. Box 209, 1723 Marly-1.
Online: barbara.rothen@unifr.ch / alke.fink@unifr.ch
Please reference the job code in your motivation letter and in the subject header!