06 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Utrecht University, Netherlands

We are looking for someone with the following qualifications:

• a PhD in environmental sciences, water or energy resources research, (socio-)hydrology or a related field;
• proven knowledge and peer-reviewed publications in the field of environmental sciences, water or energy resources research or (socio-)hydrology;
• sound understanding of water systems in the context of global change;
• willingness to integrate insights from stakeholder engagement and participatory research with quantitative water-energy system modelling of our research group;
• experience with programming languages (Python / R) ideally using spatial and temporal datasets;
• interested in highly interdisciplinary collaborations;
• sensitive to the fact that successful and impactful research is a team effort;
• excellent English oral and scientific writing skills.

The state-of-the-art Hysitron TI990 offers unmatched precision, rate of throughput, and testing parameterisation that will situate the lab the forefront of material testing applied to earth materials. Research themes may include sustainable subsurface use, geothermal energy, and subsurface storage integrity. We encourage you to engage in personal research and development, supported by a leading institution and consortium.

FLOW aims to uncover the molecular principles of how the cellular protein quality-control network modulates the fate of proteins from cradle to grave. Molecular chaperones and the degradation machinery determine the fate of proteins, and failure to do so leads to diseases as divergent as neurodegeneration or cystic fibrosis. The FLOW consortium, a unique and highly interdisciplinary team, aims to discover, rebuild and control the triaging of protein fate. We do this by combining biochemical, biophysical, cell biological, computational, and genetic methods, from single molecule to cell.

You will use your background in chemistry, catalysis, polymer science and/or mechanochemistry to discover new recycling technologies for plastics using mechanochemistry. You will enter a relatively unexplored field of chemistry together with an expanding team of 5 PhD candidates and an experienced postdoc. The core objective of this project is to pioneer the conversion of polyolefins into essential chemical building blocks like monomers, aromatics, and other hydrocarbons through innovative ball-milling and extrusion techniques. By unravelling the intricate interplay between mechanical forces, catalysis, and polymer chain cleavage, you will gain valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms shaping the future of recycling technology. Embrace the array of cutting-edge spectroscopic and analytic techniques (e.g., EPR, SEC, Raman, IR and TGA) within the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis (ICC) section, enhancing your proficiency in catalyst design and becoming a trailblazer in mechano-catalysis.

This project addresses the global challenge of plastic waste. To achieve this mechanochemical and mechanistic fundamentals of polyolefin conversion are combined with the possibility to develop a viable recycling technology. You will have the opportunity to apply for patents and make valuable connections to industrial leaders along the plastic value chain. There are plenty of possibilities for outreach, e.g., via webinars or open days of the university.

In this NWO-funded project, you will investigate the regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acc1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in establishing the average acyl chain length of membrane lipids in yeast.

Proper function of membranes and membrane proteins critically depends on the regulation of the fluidity (viscosity) of the membrane’s lipid matrix. In response to e.g. a change of the ambient temperature, the model eukaryote S. cerevisiae adjusts the fluidity of its membranes by tuning the level of unsaturation and the average length of the membrane lipid acyl chains. Whereas the mechanism of the former has been solved, the regulation of acyl chain length remains a mystery, although this more subtle mechanism may be equally important for membrane function. Your project will address this challenging fundamental question at the interface of yeast genetics, cell biology, and membrane biochemistry and biophysics.

You will investigate the regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acc1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in establishing the average acyl chain length of membrane lipids in yeast. In fatty acid synthesis, Acc1 synthesises malonyl-CoA that is iteratively consumed by FAS in producing C16 or C18 fatty acyl-CoA. Based on data obtained by us and others, we hypothesise that the C16/C18 ratio of the acyl-CoA produced is determined by the relative activities of these 2 key enzymes, i.e. increased activity of Acc1 vs. FAS favors a rise in C18 over C16 and vice versa.

We are looking for a candidate with commitment to overcome the challenges faced in working with complicated material from close to Antarctica. This project really seeks a problem-solver, someone who isn’t let down by the first disappointment. You demonstrate the capability to contribute yourself to the planning and organisation of your work as well as that of the PhD, with a keen interest in taking initiatives for the direction in which the projects develop.