Open positions

Interested in nanoscience research? Please remember to check this page where we regularly post job offers for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scientists at the Adolphe Merkle Institute. Chemistry, materials science, analytics, physics, and biophysics are all at the core of our scientific projects. We offer a uniquely stimulating interdisciplinary research environment, state-of-the-art laboratories, excellent working conditions, competitive salaries, and outstanding career prospects. Our alumni regularly take up attractive positions in academia, public research organizations, and industry around the world.

  • Internship - development of new sustainable packaging elaborated from food by-products

    Keywords: By-product, polymer materials, composite, material processing

    Project context

    Recent awareness of the impact of petroleum-based materials on global warming has led to the development of a new range of bio-based and biodegradable materials. For several years, the packaging industry, which produces a wide range of petroleum-based products, has been slowly transitioning to greener alternatives; bio-based and biodegradable packaging can already be found on the market. Although improvements have been made in order to commercialize these new materials, their properties usually need to be stronger than those of petroleum-based materials, especially for demanding materials, e.g., high-barrier packaging. Moreover, the biodegradability of some of these materials requires industrial conditions, and the origin of these materials can sometimes be controversial (competition with human and animal food). Consequently, greener materials need to be optimized to match the properties of petroleum-based materials for demanding applications, and more importantly, these packaging should have a minimal impact on our environment (from their origin to their end-of-life).

    This project, therefore, proposes to develop a new range of bio-based and biodegradable materials with high water and gas barrier properties that are cost-efficient, biodegradable in soil, and scalable in production. To achieve these goals, the new materials will be produced using food by-products, e.g., wastes from the food industry. They will be processed using multiple techniques to obtain a wide range of materials that meet the expectations for numerous packaging applications.

    Subject description

    This internship will focus on the development of these innovative materials. First, the extraction process of polysaccharides from by-products will be optimized. Then, several processing methods will be tested to obtain high-barrier packaging: coatings, spinning, and 3D printing. Different compositions and architecture will be considered. The quality of the extraction and the mechanical and barrier properties of the innovative packaging will be evaluated by the intern.

    Profile

    -          Engineering or master’s level in Materials Sciences, Polymer Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related field.

    -          Knowledge of polysaccharides and characterization of mechanical and barrier properties is a plus.

    -          Wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. 

    -          Excellent communication skills and proficiency in English

    -          Demonstrate autonomy, motivation, initiative

     What we offer:

    Duration: 5 to 6 months

    Starting date: First quarter of 2025

    Host group: Polymer Chemistry and Materials, group of Prof. Christoph Weder

    Location: Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.

    Adolphe Merkle Institute offers an attractive international environment and outstanding infrastructure in a state-of-the-art research facility.

    Application deadline: 1st November 2024

     To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to manon.guivier@unifr.ch

  • Laboratory technician (50%)

    The Adolphe Merkle Institute at the University of Fribourg (CH) is a multidisciplinary research center focusing on chemistry, biology, physics, and materials science. You will join the BioPhysics group at the Adolphe Merkle Institute and assist in the daily operation of our laboratory facilities and tasks.

    The tasks include:

    • Training users in HPLC instrument.
    • Operating and calibrating shared laboratory equipment periodically.
    • Ordering and managing the inventory for the laboratory.
    • Maintaining high standards of quality, cleanliness, and organization (stock of equipment/consumables) in the laboratory environment.
    • Attending workshops or training to acquire new skills and transfer them to the group
    • Providing basic safety training for new group members.

    Very good knowledge of English is a must, and good knowledge of French is preferable. The ideal candidate is experienced with several of the following techniques:

    • Conducting Size Exclusion Column (SEC) HPLC separation chromatography and fraction collection.
    • Conducting FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography) to separate proteins.
    • Using Capillary electrophoresis (CE) to separate proteins.
    • Handling Microscopy techniques (White light transmission, Phase contrast, Epifluorescence, Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy (FLCS), Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS))

    The position offers the opportunity to become familiar with many advanced instruments, leadership skills, and organization skills and to work on a variety of different scientific projects.

    You will be joining a team of enthusiastic scientists who creatively pursue their research agenda. We offer:

    • Flexible working conditions.
    • Excellent research facilities.
    • A dynamic and international environment with English as the working language.
    • Start date: As soon as possible.

    Application Procedure:

    Please email your application to michael.mayer@unifr.ch, including your CV, summary of research/laboratory experience, and contact information of at least two references with the subject title “BioPhysics laboratory technician”.

  • PhD Position – Nanoplastic Detection and Characterization

    The BioNanomaterials Group at the Adolphe Merkle Institute (https://www.ami.swiss/bionanomaterials/en/), led by Prof. Alke Fink and Prof. Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, is seeking applications for a PhD Position in Nanoplastic Detection and Characterization. 


    Detecting nanoplastics in biological fluids at relevant concentrations (µg/L to ng/L) remains a challenge due to limitations in current analytical techniques. Therefore, there is a need to develop new or modify existing technologies to detect nanoplastics (defined as plastic particles below 1 µm) in biological fluids. The PhD candidate will be tasked with developing analytical strategies to detect and characterize nanoplastics in cell culture media, blood, serum, or plasma. 


    Applicants must hold a master’s degree in chemistry, environmental sciences, or materials science, and have a desire to work within an interdisciplinary research group on a challenging project. Proficiency in well-established nanotechniques (such as dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, Raman, or electron microscopy) and critical thinking skills are essential requirements for the position. Additionally, candidates should possess the ability to work independently as part of a team, excellent communication skills, proficiency in English, and resilience. Previous experience in synthesizing plasmonic nanoparticles is desirable. 


    The Adolphe Merkle Institute offers very attractive employment conditions and provides an outstanding infrastructure within a new research facility. 


    The selected candidate is expected to start in July 2024. Please submit your CV, motivation letter, and contact information for at least two references as a single PDF file via email to ami.applications@unifr.ch with the subject title “PhD Position – Nanoplastic Detection”. 


    Contacts for further information: 

    Prof. Alke Fink 
    alke.fink@unifr.ch; T: +41 26 300 9501 
    Dr. Patricia Taladriz-Blanco 
    patricia.taladrizblanco@unifr.ch; T: +41 26 300 9517 

  • Post-doctoral Research Associate Position - Bio-Inspired Hydrogel Batteries

    AMI’s BioPhysics Group (Prof. Michael Mayer) invites applications for a post-doctoral research associate to investigate bio-inspired hydrogel batteries. This project addresses the urgent societal need for new power storage systems. The group targets novel electrical power sources whose design is inspired by the electric organs of electric fish and exploits salinity gradients. The research activities range from preparing thin hydrogel and polymer films, conducting electrochemical measurements of open circuit potentials and short circuit currents to fabricating, assembling, characterizing, and testing hydrogel-based devices. The project is a collaboration with groups in Polymer Chemistry (AMI, CH), Mechanical Engineering (PSU, US), and Machine Learning (CMU, USA).

    Applicants must have a PhD degree in (Bio)Physical Chemistry, Biomedical or Chemical Engineering, or a related field and wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. Previous experience in electrochemistry, biochemistry/biophysics/electrophysiology/electrical engineering would be ideal.  Other requirements are the ability to advance a complex project independently and as part of a team, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in English. AMI offers attractive employment conditions and outstanding infrastructure in a state-of-the-art research facility.

    The position will be filled as soon as possible. Please send your CV, motivation letter, and contact information of at least two references as one PDF file via E‐mail to michael.mayer@unifr.ch with the subject title “Post-doctoral Research Associate Position Bio-Inspired Hydrogel Batteries”.

  • Two PhD Positions - Soft Matter Physics Group
    The Adolphe Merkle Institute's Soft Matter Physics Group (Prof. Ullrich Steiner) invites applications for two PhD positions in the "Strong Localisation of Light through the Controlled Assembly of Amorphous Patchy Colloid Networks” project.

    In opaque materials, light is multiply scattered before emerging.  A long-standing interesting fundamental question arises: Is it possible to design a strongly scattering material from which light never emerges? While theoretically predicted and despite several experimental efforts, this effect has not yet been demonstrated.  Our approach follows the theoretical studies, which require an interplay of order and disorder in the arrangement of the scatterers within the material.  

    To this end, we will develop a system of colloidal building blocks that can be assembled into networks, allowing us to adjust the order-disorder interplay of the resulting network. These 3D networks are then replicated into high-refractive index materials (silicon or titania) and optically characterised to achieve strong light scattering. One of the PhD projects concerns the creation of the building blocks, i.e., the synthesis of the colloids and their assembly, while the second will work on replicating the networks as mentioned above.  Both students will also use molecular dynamics and optical simulations to predict promising network morphologies, guiding their experiments.

    Applicants must have a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, or Physics and wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. The ability to advance a complex project independently and as part of a team, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in English are key requirements for this position. Experience in polymer or colloid science will be of advantage, and some knowledge of optics is desirable. 

    The Adolphe Merkle Institute offers attractive employment conditions and outstanding infrastructure in a new research facility.
    The position will be filled as soon as possible. Please send your CV, motivation letter, and contact information of at least two references as one PDF file via E‐mail to ami.applications@unifr.ch with the subject title “PhD Light Localisation”.