PhD project: Exploring Water-Solid Surface Interactions for Efficient and Sustainable Cleaning

Malmo

Reference number P 2024/1689

Malmö University is an innovative, urban, and internationally-oriented academic institution that, thanks to its committed and experienced staff, contributes to societal development. Here, teachers, researchers, and other employees with various competencies work together to conduct high-quality education and research. All professional categories and roles are important. You are welcome to apply for a job with us!

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We are looking for
Doctoral student for a project on Interactions of water with solid surfaces at the Faculty of Health and Society

Project
Are you passionate about tackling environmental challenges while advancing our understanding of water’s unique behaviors? Join us in a groundbreaking PhD research project on the Interactions of Water with Solid Surfaces—an area with promising implications for sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

Water, a fundamental substance in our world, exhibits unique behaviors when it forms a thin interfacial layer on various surfaces. These interfacial properties differ significantly from those in bulk water and are influenced by the presence of other molecules—such as salts, hydrophobic compounds, surfactants, and biopolymers. In this project, you will delve into the behavior of water at these interfaces, investigating how it interacts with diverse surfaces and the role that additional molecules play in modifying these interactions.

Your research will center on:

• The structure and state of water at interfaces
• Interactions with hydrophobic surfaces and molecules
• The impact of electrostatic interactions and specific ions

This research addresses pressing environmental problems by exploring mild and environmentally friendly methods for cleaning and washing. By understanding water’s interaction with various materials, your work will contribute to the development of sustainable, non-toxic cleaning solutions that minimize chemical waste and reduce the environmental impact of traditional detergents.

If you’re driven to make a positive impact on environmental sustainability while advancing the field of water-surface interactions, we invite you to be part of our dynamic research team. Relevant publication: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 608, 2022, 1929–1941.

Work duties
Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research, artistic research and administration, however, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20 per cent of a full-time post (Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Higher Education Ordinance).

In the research project part of the PhD training, the work duties include experiments with relevant experimental techniques such as Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D), Small and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The doctoral student is expected to summarize and interpret experimental results and present them in a PhD thesis and scientific articles.

Qualifications
To be admitted to third-cycle studies, the applicant must meet the general and specific entry requirements of the subject in question. Moreover, the applicant must be deemed capable of assimilating the education.

General entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes (HEO Chapter 7 Section 39) have those who:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Selection criteria
Selection among applicants who meet the general and specific entry requirements shall be made with regard to their capacity to assimilate the education (HEO Chapter 7 Section 41).

Candidates must have a background in natural sciences such as chemistry, physics or pharmacy. Candidate should have a true and firm interest in a laboratory experimental work and theoretical interpretation of experimental results.

Experience from working with surface and colloid chemistry, as well as in physicochemical characterization of surfaces, materials or liquids is advantageous. A previous hands-on experience in more than one of the following methods: Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), X-ray or neutron scattering (SAXS, WAXS, SANS), DSC, ITC, isothermal microcalorimetry, TGA, water sorption techniques, microscopy techniques (e.g. TEM, SEM, PLOM) is advantageous. Documented excellent level of English (understanding, speaking and writing) is essential.

Faculty, Department and Research environment
The Department of Biomedical Science at Faculty of Health and Society (www.mau.se/bmv) offers programmes leading to a professional qualification as Prescriptionist and Biomedical laboratory scientist (both first cycle, 180 credits), and a Masters' programme, Biomedical Surface Science (second cycle, 120 credits), as well as first and second cycle freestanding courses. The Department negotiates the multifaceted intersection between biology, chemistry, medicine, physics, and technology and the interdisciplinary approach to research and education aims to further develop the theoretical and practical understanding of the complex subject matter. Drawing on the balance between basic and applied research, the Department has been successful in attracting funding from regional, national, and international research funding bodies. In addition, in the pursuit of possible applications, several industry funded contract research projects are currently running at the Department. The research at the Department is also linked to our research center “Biofilms - Research Center for Biointerfaces” (www.mau.se/brcb), which combines biomedical science with clinical and translational research in medical, dental, food and environmental application areas in close collaboration with regional industry.

Further information
Project related questions:

Professor Vitaly Kocherbitov, +46(0)40 665 7946, [email protected]

Questions regarding employment at Malmö university:

HR-specialist Heidi Francke, [email protected]

In our recruitment work, Malmö University has taken a stand regarding recruitment channels and marketing. We therefore decline all offers of advertising and recruitment assistance in connection with this advertisement.

You can read more about the benefits of working in Sweden here: https://sweden.se/collection/working-in-sweden/

Application
You apply for this position via Malmö University's recruitment system by clicking on the "Apply" button. As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring that your application is completed in accordance with the job advertisement, and that it is submitted to the University no later than 7th of January 2025. The application must be written in Swedish, English or any of the Nordic languages. As an applicant, you are responsible for the application and its appendices being translated.

The application must include:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV), including names and e-mail addresses of two reference persons
• Diplomas, transcript of records and other certificates relevant for the position
• A copy of master thesis or equivalent
• A brief description of your view of the focus of the future PhD thesis (max 1 page).

Miscellaneous
Preparation of admission to postgraduate education and employment as a doctoral student take place in parallel. Only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentships (Chapter 5, Section 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance).

The doctoral studentship is a fixed-term position comprising four years of full-time studies, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 7. A doctoral student shall be employed for an indefinite period but for no longer than until a specified date, and never for longer than a year after the doctoral degree or artistic doctoral degree has been completed. The first appointment must be limited to one year at the most. The appointment can be extended by a maximum of two years at a time.

Malmö University actively promotes gender equality and equal opportunities in order to offer a workplace and a university characterised by an open and inclusive approach.

As part of this:

• applicants of an underrepresented gender are given priority for admission, if they are equally able to benefit from the programme.
• doctoral students with permanent disabilities are given the opportunity to receive support and adaptations during their studies, so that everyone can study on equal terms in a good study environment.

Malmö University is a workplace and higher education institution that is characterised by an open and inclusive approach, where gender equality and equal terms add value to our activities.

Malmö University applies salary setting for doctoral students in accordance with a local agreement on salary setting for doctoral students.

Start date
1 February 2025 or upon agreement.

Union representatives
SACO-S: Désirée Annvir, [email protected]

Sveriges Lärare: Peter Persson, [email protected]

OFR/S (ST): Lutfi Zuta, [email protected]

PhD Student Union representative
Barnabas Nyesiga, [email protected]

We are looking forward to receiving your application!
#LI-MAU

You apply no later than 07/01/2025 by clicking the apply button.