Postdoctoral Position in Development of Synthetic Membranes to Host Proteins for Biosensing Applications

Your position

The project has as aim the design and development of "functional membranes" based on asymmetric synthetic planar membranes combined with membrane proteins inserted inside and enzymes attached at the interface with the environment. Such functional membranes have high potential for applications in medicine, water purification, electronics, and as new biosensors. First, amphiphilic block copolymers will be synthesized, and then their self-assembly will be studied to generate homogeneous planar membranes on solid support. Then membrane proteins and enzymes will be inserted or attached and their functionality in artificial environment will be evaluated. The PostDoc will combine synthesis of copolymers and their self-assembly to form membranes with physicalchemistry methods to characterize these membranes and proteins (structure and interactions with
the polymer assemblies). Finally bio-assays will provide information regarding overall functionality of these functional membranes and efficiency for biosensing applications.

This highly interdisciplinary project will allow you gaining valuable experience in the domain of colloidal chemistry, physical chemistry for medical applications and biosensing approaches. Your role will be to synthesize the copolymers, self-assembly them on solid support and characterize them in various conditions to optimize the resulting membranes both before and after combination with
biomolecules. More information on the topics of the groups in which you will be working can be found at https://palivan.chemie.unibas.ch/en/ and at https://meier.chemie.unibas.ch/en/ .