PhD student in physical chemistry

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked as one of the world's top 100 higher education institutions. Here, there are 40,000 students and 7,400 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our strive to understand, explain, and improve our world and human conditions.

At the Faculty of Science, research and education are conducted in biology, astronomy, physics, geosciences, chemistry, mathematics, and environmental science. Operations are carried out at nine departments gathered within the northern university area. The faculty has approximately 1,500 students, 330 doctoral students, and 700 employees.

Tasks

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have developed into smart multifunctional carriers for drugs, primarily in the new promising area of siRNA and mRNA therapeutics.

Characterization of LNP bulk and especially surface structure is of great importance for understanding their interaction with biological interfaces, which are crucial for therapeutic function. Structural determination of complex lipid-based nanoparticles with encapsulated RNA and other biomacromolecules is challenging due to their size, inhomogeneous and hierarchical structure on different length scales, low lipid-RNA contrast, and rapid dynamics. Standard analysis with approximate analytical scattering functions misses important details such as phase-separated surface domains, which differ from the internal structure and conformation of the encapsulated RNA macromolecules. In this doctoral project, we will combine neutron and X-ray scattering in both low-angle and wide-angle regimes together with new data analysis tools to increase the fundamental understanding of LNP structure. This is not possible with current experimental and modeling strategies. The use of computational simulations to be able to determine structural details from multiple sets of experimental data has begun to develop, and the experimental results generated in the project will enable more realistic computational analyses. This will not only make it possible to establish a fundamental understanding of structures but also enable the rational design of new carriers with unprecedented performance for, e.g., RNA.

The project is funded by the Swedish-German Röntgen-Ångström cluster MEDISOFT: Combined SANS/SAXS measurements and model-independent simulations for structural determination of complex and therapeutically relevant lipid particles. The doctoral project is conducted in close cooperation with the Swedish partners at Chalmers, Uppsala universitet, MAX-IV, and ESS, and the German partners at Ludwig Maximillians University, Munich; MPI for Biophysics Frankfurt, and Jülich Center for Neutron Scattering at MLZ, Garching.

Qualifications

You need a master's degree in physical/biophysical chemistry, physics, or equivalent. Good knowledge in one or more of the experimental methods of advanced microscopy, surface techniques, or scattering methods is necessary, and experience in modeling is also an advantage. Experience in handling lipid formulations and biological macromolecules is also a merit. You should be a motivated person and have shown that you can work independently to answer scientific questions. Documentation showing excellent English (understanding, speaking, and writing) is important. Excellent communication and presentation skills are also important. The applicant should have a great ability to work in a group and collaborate with people from complementary subject areas.

Eligibility

Basic eligibility for education at the doctoral level is held by those who have: completed a degree at an advanced level, fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits are at an advanced level, or have in some other way, within or outside the country, acquired knowledge mainly corresponding to this.

Basis for Assessment

Provisions for employment as a doctoral student are found in regulation SFS 1998:80. An appointment may only be made to those who have been admitted to education at the doctoral level. Upon appointment, primary attention shall be paid to the degree of ability to assimilate the doctoral education. In addition to the obligation to engage in their own doctoral education, the holder may be assigned to perform duties involving education, research, and administrative work according to special provisions in the regulation.

Terms

Fixed-term employment for four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

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