Updated: about 2 months ago
Location: Indiana, PENNSYLVANIA
Deadline: ;
Posting Details
Position Details
| Title | Postdoctoral Fellow - Flood Lab (GCR) |
|---|---|
| Appointment Status | Non-Tenure Track |
| Department | IU Bloomington Chemistry |
| Location | Bloomington |
| Position Summary | Department Information: The Department of Chemistry consists of a well-rounded research community with cutting-edge expertise in a wide variety of modern disciplines including analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, and biochemistry. Job Summary: A position is available for the design, synthesis and testing of cyanostar macrocycles for use in phosphate sensors. A successful candidate will join an active team of chemists working at the forefront of supramolecular chemistry with expertise in ion recognition and ion-driven assembly. In this project, the postdoc will be involved in an interdisciplinary collaboration with professors in polymer chemistry, electrical engineering and marine/water science across the US. The work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Growing Convergence Research (GCR) program. The position will involve the development of receptor libraries to test and evaluate the mechanisms of phosphate sensing that occur when the receptors are incorporated into prototype devices. This learning will be translated into next-generation receptors to improve signal transduction events at the binding-receptor-polymer interface. Candidates will be expected to engage in collaborations with feedforward and feedbackward interactions to enhance fruitful systems integration. Feedback will also stem from in-the-field testing of performance of sensitivity and selectivity in real-world pastures and ocean waters. The postdoc will have the opportunity to participate in professional development activities according to their professional goals. These include graduate mentoring, grant writing opportunities, seminars and conference attendance. Previous group members have continued their career by becoming professors or equivalent positions. Summary: Collaborative Research: GCR: Convergence on Phosphorus Sensing for Understanding Global Biogeochemistry and Enabling Pollution Management and Mitigation Phosphorus (P) is an essential element that forms the basis for all life on earth. Phosphorus plays a central role in biogeochemical cycles that broadly impact global biological productivity, food resources, energy generation, and climate. Understanding the complex interrelationships between critical food, energy, and water resources and addressing phosphorus demand, pollution, and recovery are some of the greatest scientific challenges for a sustainable future. At the root of these problems is the inability to measure phosphorus directly when and where we would like and to do so in a cost effective manner. This technology gap precludes our ability to close the “phosphorus cycle” at regional, national, and global scales. This Growing Convergence Research (GCR) project will overcome traditionally siloed fundamental science, engineering, and prototyping challenges to enable portable, low-cost, robust, and selective sensors for phosphorus that address these critical and unmet needs. This project brings together researchers with expertise spanning supramolecular (Indiana University, Amar Flood) and inorganic chemistry (The University of Minnesota, Valerie Pierre), polymer science and soft-matter electronics (The Georgia Institute of Technology, Jason Azoulay), electrical engineering (The University of California San Diego, Tina Ng), and environmental (The University of Minnesota, Satoshi Iishi) and marine science (The University of Southern Mississippi, Alan Shiller). Convergent scientific, technological, and engineering advances will coalesce to realize new paradigms for control at the chemical, supramolecular, transduction, and device levels that will ultimately serve as the basis for ushering in a completely new generation of sensors for phosphorus. These P sensors will satisfy the functional and economic requirements needed to provide pragmatic solutions for capturing the complexity of how phosphorus exists in space and time within agricultural landscapes, waterways, and ecosystems. Engagements with stakeholders, industrial partners, and regulatory agencies will guide our efforts towards additional applications, commercialization, and other societally relevant sensing challenges. This convergent research program will integrate basic science and engineering approaches together and combine significant intellectual and technical overlap between traditionally disparate disciplines to address long-standing challenges that have limited the development of phosphorus sensing technologies. Specific objectives of the program are to: (1) design, develop and understand how molecular recognition elements (“receptors”) selectively bind phosphorus in the form of inorganic and organic phosphate compounds, (2) tailor receptor-analyte-semiconductor interactions and investigate how they specifically transduce the phosphate-binding events into a sensitive signal; (3) integrate these chemistries within low-cost electronic devices; (4) engineer sensors that enable sensitive quantification in complex environments for managing the phosphorus cycle including agricultural runoff, wastewater, and fresh, brackish, estuarine, and marine environments; (5) communicate chemical phosphate detection to electronic platforms to digitize and relay this data; and (6) develop prototypes for field use and demonstrations. This holistic approach will produce field-deployable technologies for phosphorus that are low-cost, operate in real-time, and directly interface with commercial platforms broadly utilized within agricultural, environmental, and marine monitoring. For additional information visit: https://floodweb.sitehost.iu.edu/?page=home |
| Basic Qualifications | Ph.D. in chemistry by December 2023. Preferred Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be an expert in the organic synthesis of macrocycles and anion receptors or similar compounds. Exposure to molecule-polymer systems would be a benefit. The candidate will possess a creative, analytical approach to problem solving, the ability to work independently and the willingness to engage in interdisciplinary collaborations. |
| Department Contact for Questions | Questions regarding the position or application process can be directed to: Prof. Amar Flood, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, [email protected]. |
| Additional Qualifications | |
| Salary and Rank | $45,000/ yr, Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Special Instructions | The initial appointment for this position will be for 12 months. Additional 12-month extension will be available based on performance. A competitive salary along with a benefits package will be offered. Interested candidates should submit (a) cover letter outlining why they are well suited for the position, a statement of purpose and expected contributions the applicant will bring to the position, (b) CV, and © contact information for three references to http://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/20437. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. The College of Arts and Sciences is committed to building and supporting a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community of students and scholars. Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. |
| For Best Consideration Date | 10/27/2023 |
| Expected Start Date | 01/01/2024 |
| Posting/OAA # | IU-100586-2023 |