Two Ph.D. Positions in Materials Chemistry (# of pos: 2)

Materials That Differentiate and Communicate Autonomously

During biological development, an organism develops from a single, uniform cell to a complex, highly ordered, multicellular body with segregated functions (tissues, organs, extremities), with astonishing autonomy and reliability. The Lerch Research Group (www.lerchlab.com ) aims to implement the underlying design rules of these biological processes into synthetic materials based on chemical reactions. In particular, we are interested in chemical communication between different parts of a material that could enable developmental processes such as differentiation (specialization) and morphogenesis (coordinated change of shape). In the two Ph.D. projects, we aim to design reaction cascades for communication between different parts of a material such as a gel, with the goal of creating materials that can autonomously self-organize and coordinate tasks across different locations.

The prospective Ph.D. student will work in an international and interdisciplinary team in a fast-paced, creative, and collaborative research environment, based at the renowned Stratingh Institute. The University of Groningen and the Lerch Research Group strive to create an equitable, inclusive, and respectful environment, where researchers of different backgrounds and disciplines can work at the forefront of science.