Postdoc position within cell wall accessibility characterization

Publiceringsdatum: 2024-10-01

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Jobbannons

We are looking for a driven postdoctoral researcher who will join two multidisciplinary teams at Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers working jointly on valorization of biomass and focus on developing an essential methodology for assessing the cell wall accessibility.

The fundamental knowledge gained through this methodology will broadly open up for improved design of separation and functionalization processes for forest biomass.

Project description

This project will be conducted with two research groups (Anna Ström's and Merima Hasani's groups) working jointly on valorization of biomass all the way from primary separation of the components to their functionalization towards specific applications. Our complementary competences will ensure a broad collaborative scientifc approch and strong practical experimental support. Moreover, the project will be financed and conducted within the framework of the Wallenberg Wood Science Center that will provide a wider impact of the work and open up for further development and collaborations.

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) is a research center striving for scientific excellence with a focus on new materials from trees. The center creates knowledge and builds competence for an innovative and sustainable future value creation from forest raw materials. WWSC is a multidisciplinary collaboration between KTH, Chalmers, and Linköping University. The base is a donation from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the forest industry is supporting WWSC via the national platform Treesearch.

An important part of the center's scientific work is development of analytical tools related to separation and recovery of wood components, which is the core of this postdoctoral project.

Information about the department and the Science center

The position is located at the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers where we have a long tradition of multidisciplinary approach to valorization of biomass ranging from chemistry and technology of traditional pulping processes to novel routes of separating, fractionating and functionalizing forest biomass components in the spirit of biorefinery and biomaterials development. Apart from extensive collaborations with forest industry, the presence of the world-leading Wallenberg Wood Science Center has during the past 13 years strengthened the collaborative environment and facilitated access to extensive research infrastructure. In that context, development of novel methods for characterization of cell wall accessibility is an essential component in gaining the fundamental mechanistic understanding for the separation (and also valorization) processes applied on wood and forest biomass in general.

Major responsibilities

The main responsibility of the postdoctoral researcher will be to work on developing methodology for assessing the wood cell wall porosity, whether native or partly processed. The main focus will be on adapting the confocal microscopy investigation of the fluorescence recovery after bleaching to wood material, but complementary analytical methods will also be of high relevance. The work will require a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach and will be closely related to the previous and the ongoing work/collaborations in our two research groups.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position you must have a PhD degree (according to the current agreement with the Swedish Agency for Government Employers). Exceptions from the 3-year limit can be made for longer periods resulting from parental leave, sick leave or military service*. within the field of biomass processing and valorization or solid biomaterial characterization. Experience of working with advanced microscopy and/or other imaging techniques, FRAP in particular is highly meritorious. As a person you are self-motivated, structured and have a problem solving attitude along with a great ability to collaborate.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. Swedish is not a requirement but Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

• The date shown in your doctoral degree certificate is the date we use, as this is the date you have met all requirements for the doctoral degree.

Contract terms

This postdoc position is a full-time temporary employment for two years.

We offer

Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 

Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure

The application should be marked with 20240417 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document as: CV, Surname, Ref. number) including:

• CV, include complete list of publications
• Previous teaching and pedagogical experiences
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)

1-3 pages where you:

• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous research fields and main research results
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:

• Attested copies of completed education, grades and other certificates.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 2024-10-31

For questions, please contact:

Merima Hasani, Div. of Chemical Engineering,

merima.hasani@chalmers.se

Anna Ström, Div. of Applied Chemistry,

anna.strom@chalmers.se