Read the advertisement and apply for the job here: Postdoctoral Fellows in membrane biophysics: Droplet/condensate wetting at cellular membranes (280781) | University of Oslo
Deadline: 8 June 2025
About the positions
One or two Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are available at the Mechanics Division, Department of Mathematics at the University of Oslo.
Starting date as soon as possible, preferably by October 1st 2025.
The fellowship period is 3 years.
No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.
The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.
It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.
More about the positions
1-2 three-year postdoctoral research fellowships are available at the Department of Mathematics in the research group of Prof. Andreas Carlson at the University of Oslo (UiO).
The position is part of large interdisciplinary project which focuses on the understanding of the biophysical processes as droplets/condensates wet membrane compartments in cells. Numerical simulations and theoretical membrane models will be developed, aiming to couple viscous interfacial fluid flow, elastic deformations and wetting-like processes at cellular membranes. The theoretical modelling will be in close collaboration with experimentalists, using both in vivo and in vitro membrane systems.
Droplets/condensates are found in a wide range of cellular processes and shown to play a role in infections, cancer and diseases. Because sculpting of the phagophore membrane is crucial for the process of autophagy, understanding this process will help identify processes that promote autophagy. So far, neither the molecular nor the biophysical principles of phagophore formation and sculpting are understood, and this is something we aim to achieve in the project. The work will involve theoretical and computational modelling of the droplets and how they wet soft interphases. It is planned that the numerical simulations and theoretical predictions will help advance our understanding of these membrane wetting dynamics. The postdoctoral fellow will be part of the group of Prof. Andreas Carlson, where the work will be conducted in close collaboration with experimental cell biologists at Oslo University Hospital in the group of Prof. Harald Stenmark. The project will also involve international collaborations and is a unique opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
This is the right position if you are highly motivated about fundamental science and excited about questions related to biophysics, interfacial fluid mechanics and/or soft matter physics. The postdoctoral fellow will join an international and interdisciplinary research group lead by Prof. Andreas Carlson, which hosts other projects including an ERC Consolidator Grant.
Qualification requirements
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
- Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in mechanics, physics or applied mathematics or similar. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment.
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
- A strong track record in fundamental research in modelling of biophysical phenomena, capillary flows or wetting phenomena.
Desired qualifications:
- A strong theoretical background and experience in numerical simulations and theoretical modelling will also be considered beneficial