At Nanobiocomp, we are always keen on receiving your applications. If you are looking for a post-doc and you have some computational experience in the field of condensed matter physics or biophysics, just drop us an email. If you are a master student and you are interested in a Ph.D. fellowship, you may apply to Unige's PhD programme in Physics.  For more specific inquiries on job opportunities and current projects, please contact Prof. Giulia Rossi and Prof. Riccardo Ferrando directly. 


OPEN POSITIONS

We have several openings!

Project abstract. The ceramics market is growing rapidly in many areas, such as construction, medicine, ICT, and energy. The increasing cost of energy is a threat to the competitiveness of this sector. Energy costs are largely due to the heat treatments required to dry and consolidate the pieces. A possible strategy to reduce energy consumption is thus to minimize the water present in the compositions. To achieve this goal, we propose to use new superplasticizer polymeric additives to reduce the water content while guaranteeing the rheological properties required at manufacturing stages. We will use original multi-resolution in silico molecular models to optimize the composition of the polymer additives added to the colloidal suspensions. The coupling of different simulation techniques (atomistic and coarse-grained Molecular Dynamics, Stochastic Rotational Dynamics) will enable us to understand which molecular factors drive the polymer/colloid interaction, as well as the resulting rheological properties of the suspension. The expected results and the methods employed will open up prospects not only in the field of ceramics but also in the wide spectrum of application of nanocomposite materials, for which the interactions between polymers and inorganic particles play a crucial role.


Requirements. Candidates should have completed a Master in physics, chemistry, material science or related areas. We will positively evaluate:

·   good programming skills (C++, python)

·     knowledge of/past experience with molecular simulation techniques

 

Contacts:
 Giulia Rossi, Physics Department, University of Genoa, IT
 giulia.rossi@fisica.unige.it
Manuella Cerbelaud, IRCER CNRS/University of Limoges, Limoges, FR
 manuella.cerbelaud@unilim.fr

When and where? Deadline: the deadline for the formal application is expected to be at the end of June 2023. Interested candidates are invited to contact Prof. Rossi or Prof. Cerbelaud beforehand via email, with the subject line “[PhD application 2023]”. The fellowship will start on November 2023 and have a 3-year duration. The student will be based in Genoa and is expected to spend up to 18 months at the Institut de Recherche sur les Céramiques (IRCER UMR-CNRS 7315), in Limoges, France.



Project abstract Alterations in the structure and dynamics of lipid rafts correlate with abnormal protein distribution and aggregation, distinctive hallmarks of widespread neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's.The aggregation pathway of small amyloid-beta peptide oligomers, possibly influenced by free lipids in solution, can determine the structure of the oligomers and the degree of physical damage they exert on the membrane. However, due to the enormous complexity of the biological environment and the lack of resolution of in-vivo experimental techniques, the investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between neuronal lipid rafts, free lipids in solution, and amyloid peptides is still far from conclusive results. The project aims to unveil the fundamental mechanisms by which neuronal lipid rafts and free lipids in solution drive the aggregation of amyloid peptides into small oligomers and, conversely, by which different oligomers can damage both healthy and diseased neuronal membranes. By answering fundamental questions at the interface between physics, biology, and chemistry, the outcomes of this project will improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and hopefully impact its treatment, suggesting new intervention routes.


The work will be led in close collaboration with Dr. V. Conti Nibali, University of Messina, Italy, in the framework of the NeuRaftAmyl project funded by MIUR.


Requirements Candidates should have completed a PhD in physics, chemistry, biology, material science or related areas. We will positively evaluate:

·   good programming skills (C++, python)

·       past experience with molecular simulation techniques (Molecular Dynamics, Monte Carlo) in the areas of biophysics and soft matter

·       experience with enhanced sampling techniques

·       experience with the development of coarse-grained models for MD

 

When? The position will be formally open soon, and the contract should start within the end of 2023, ideally in September or October. The contract will have a duration of 1+1 years, possibly renewable for a 3rd year.

 

Contacts
 Davide Bochicchio, Physics Department, University of Genoa, IT
 davide.bochicchio@fisica.unige.it

Requests of further information and expression of interests are welcome and can be sent via email to Dr. Davide Bochicchio, with the subject line “[post-doc 2023]”. Please include a curriculum vitae and the name and email contact of 3 references.  


 


Project abstract Intrusion and extrusion (IE) of liquids in nanoporous systems is important for many technological applications, such as liquid chromatography, energy damping/storage, porosimetry, and biological/bioinspired channels. The physics of IE phenomena is based on the phase behaviour of water confined inside hydrophobic nanopores. By varying pressure, the stability of wet and dry pore changes, giving rise to metastabilities and transitions between the two states. Capillary theories provide a qualitative description of IE phenomena, but nowadays atomistic simulations are the tool of election for the study of IE processes. Nevertheless, current models rely on an oversimplified description of the pore surface, which is modeled as a rigid hydrophobic surface. In practical applications, instead, the silica surface is functionalized by flexible, organic ligands endowing it with the desired hydrophobicity. We aim at overcoming these limitations by developing a computationally efficient, chemically specific coarse-grained digital twin of a functionalized Si-based nanoporous materials. Our digital twin will enable simulations of large porous samples with realistic geometries and interconnected pores, while explicitly accounting for the flexibility and conformational behaviour of grafting molecules on the pore surfaces. The project will gain fundamental insights into the physics of IE phenomena and impact their vast range of applications.

 

The work will be led in close collaboration with A. Tinti and A. Giacomello, University of Rome Sapienza, Italy, in the framework of the SoftNanoPore project funded by MIUR.

 

Requirements Candidates should have completed a PhD in physics, chemistry, biology, material science or related areas. We will positively evaluate:

·     good programming skills (C++, python)

·       past experience with molecular simulation techniques (Molecular Dynamics, Monte Carlo) in the areas in the soft matter area

·       experience with enhanced sampling techniques

·       experience with the development of coarse-grained models for MD


When? The position will be formally open soon, and the contract should start within the end of 2023, ideally in September or October. The contract will have a duration of 1+1 years, possibly renewable for a 3rd year.

 

Contacts:
 Giulia Rossi, Physics Department, University of Genoa, IT
 giulia.rossi@fisica.unige.it 

Requests for further information and expression of interests are welcome and can be sent via email to Prof. Giulia Rossi, with the subject line “[post-doc 2023]”. Please include a curriculum vitae and the name and email contact of 3 references.