- 2 PhD student positions – Interfacial Imaging of Membrane Water
- 1 x PhD student position – Long- and short- range structure in electrolyte solutions
Interfacial Imaging of Membrane Water
Two PhD student positions are available at the Laboratory for fundamental BioPhotonics (LBP) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.
Introduction
Water is the liquid of life. It is intimately linked to our well-being. Without water, cell membranes cannot function. Charges and charged groups cannot be dissolved, self-assembly cannot occur, and proteins cannot fold. That water is intimately linked with life, we experience time and again when we quench our thirst, but how does this link work?
Osmosis is the flow of water across a (cell) membrane that separates two aqueous solutions with different concentrations of a solutes. Regulating osmotic pressure is a key survival strategy of cells and plays an important role in the functioning of every organism. How osmotic pressure and cell membrane tension are regulated on the molecular level is not known. It is the aim of the ERC Synergy Grant R2-Tension, a collaboration between EPFL (Prof. S. Roke) and the University of Geneva (Prof. A. Roux) to work this out. To do so, we will develop new technology and perform experiments in vitro and vivo.
The Project at EPFL – focused on technology development & in vitro studies
Nonlinear optical imaging and new ultrafast spectroscopic techniques have recently been developed in the Roke lab and used to image in real time interfacial water and electrostatic potentials on membrane interfaces of model membranes and in living cells.
We will use second harmonic water imaging to (1) image interfacial water in real time as well as the electrostatic field lines on lipid membrane interface model systems, and (2) image in real time membrane fusion and osmosis. The imaging data will be used to link molecular level information to electrostatics and mechanics of membarnes.
The EPFL Candidate
This research has many interdisciplinary aspects that demand a highly motivated candidate with strong analytical abilities that is able to think out of the box. The diverse aspects of the project allow a wide range of backgrounds that should include photonics, physics, chemistry/material science, electrical or bioengineering. Experience in nonlinear optics / microscopy, or ultrafast spectroscopy is a bonus. We offer excellent working conditions and a state-of-the-art infrastructure in a highly dynamic and international environment at the forefront of research.
The Application Procedure
Applications should include a motivation letter, detailed CV, transcripts of diplomas as well as three letters of reference. In conjunction to the application the candidate should apply to one of the doctoral schools: photonics, materials science, or bioengineering (e.g. https://www.epfl.ch/education/phd/programs/edpo-photonics/)
More Information
http://phd.epfl.ch/prospective, for the position, contact Prof. Sylvie Roke, [email protected].
Long- and short- range structure in electrolyte solutions
PhD student position at the Laboratory for fundamental BioPhotonics (LBP) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.
Introduction
Electrolyte solutions in water are an essential ingredient of many aspects of life and technology: the bodily fluids (blood and cellular fluid are prime examples), but also are the key contents of batteries. The electrolyte in batteries determines the power output, life span and efficient energy storage. Electrolyte solutions are commonly described as homogeneous mixtures in which ions are statistically distributed. However, it is well known from theoretical considerations in the 1930’s that this simple description is incomplete for the relevant concentration range and that the structure of electrolyte solutions is far more complex. Experiments to understand this need to cover time scales ranging from femto- to milliseconds, and length scales from atomistic dimensions to microns, a huge challenge.
The Project at EPFL
We will use various novel home-built technologies based on nonlinear optical scattering and imaging methods to achieve this: second harmonic imaging, angle-resolved-second harmonic scattering, and correlated vibrational spectroscopy, all ultrafast optical methods, supplemented by standard linear spectroscopy and light scattering methods. These methods will be applied to simple 3D electrolytes in water, and 2D electrolyte regions at aqueous interfaces. Linking all datasets will allow to map both short – and long-range interactions and collective effects pertaining to all molecular actors. This allows to solve the puzzle surrounding concentrated electrolyte solutions and how they work, for example in their charge transmitting/storing functions and lead to a better understanding, and ultimately new technology.
The EPFL Candidate
This research has many interdisciplinary aspects that demand a highly motivated candidate with strong analytical abilities that can think out of the box. The successful candidate has a background in photonics, physics, chemistry/material science, or electrical engineering, ideally supplemented by hands-on experience in free space optics / microscopy, nonlinear optics or ultrafast spectroscopy. We offer excellent working conditions and a state-of-the-art infrastructure in a highly dynamic and international environment at the forefront of research.
The Application Procedure
Applications should include a motivation letter, detailed CV, transcripts of diplomas as well as three letters of reference. In conjunction to the application the candidate should apply to one of the doctoral schools: photonics, materials science, or electrical engineering(e.g. https://www.epfl.ch/education/phd/programs/edpo-photonics/)
More Information
Contact Prof. Sylvie Roke, [email protected].