Postdoctoral position on “The role of ambient flow in determining the microstructure of the biofilm matrix” in Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. It is renowned for its excellent education, its cutting-edge fundamental research and its efforts to put new knowledge and innovations directly into practice. The Environmental Microfluidics Group in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering studies microbial ecology combining microfluidics and and advanced visualization techniques. The position is funded by a recently awarded obtained by Dr. Eleonora Secchi to start an independent research unit in the Environmental Microfluidics Group.

Biofilms are consortia of bacteria that grow on moist surfaces and have major environmental, technological and medical impacts. Within biofilms, bacterial cells are embedded in a matrix of extracellular material made up of diverse biopolymers, which provides protection against mechanical and chemical insults. This project will focus on studying the influence of the biofilm matrix microstructure, chemical composition and mechanical properties on its response to changes in environmental conditions, combining microfluidics, advanced optical visualization techniques, chemical profiling and rheological characterization.

We look forward to receiving your online application including a letter of motivation, CV, diplomas, a brief (1 page) statement of research interests and contact details of at least 2 referees. Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled, with the position to start as early as September 1, 2019 and the contract duration is two years.