PhD position: From the Origin of Life to New Materials – Nanopore Detection of Nanocluster Heterogeneity with Single-Molecule Resolution (P2604)
PhD opportunity at the University of Basel in the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI) PhD School.
This fully funded 4-year doctoral project focuses on developing protein nanopore technology for single-molecule detection and classification of metal nanoclusters. The research sits at the intersection of biophysical chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, nanoscience, analytical chemistry, and machine learning, with applications ranging from understanding molecular heterogeneity in prebiotic life to enabling new materials research.
The project is jointly supervised by Prof. Sonja Schmid and Prof. Florian P. Seebeck, and the student will work in a highly interdisciplinary setting with physicists, chemists, and molecular life scientists. Research tasks include establishing nanopore assays for individual nanoclusters, engineering and purifying protein nanopores with tailored sensitivity, and developing data analysis and machine learning pipelines for signal classification.
Applicants should have a Master’s degree or equivalent in chemistry, biochemistry, nanoscience, physics, or a related field. Experience with nanopore experiments, protein purification, data analysis, coding (preferably Python), and machine learning is advantageous. Strong independence, systematic working habits, teamwork, and excellent English communication skills are expected.
The position offers training in cutting-edge single-molecule and nanopore methods, access to state-of-the-art infrastructure in two complementary groups, an international research environment, and opportunities to present at conferences and publish in high-impact journals. The location is Basel, Switzerland, a highly livable city at the junction of Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Applications must be completed via the online platform at www.phd.nanoscience.ch. For questions, candidates may contact Dr. Andreas Baumgartner at [email protected]. The post indicates that the vacancy may be filled at any time, while the application deadline shown in the job details is 2026-10-15.
