hiring
Current Funded Positions
Postdoc or Research Engineer: Physics of bacterial biofilm nucleation
We are looking for a Postdoc or Engineer with experience and/or a passion for digital holographic microscopy (DHM) and light sheet fluorescence microscopy. The project will build a microscope, from scratch, which combines the two modalities in order to i) track bacteria in 3D over large fields of view and with high spatial and time resolution, and ii) observe the swimming to surface-adhered transition that nucleates a biofilm and interogate surface-induced intracellular changes via fluorescent biomarkers. The ideal candidate may have a background in optics and/or in methods of numerical reconstruction. Experience in machine learning and programming GPUs would be a plus. Experience working with bacteria is not necessary, but welcome! To apply, or for more details, email Ashley.
PhD: biophysics of bacterial physiology
We have an open position for a PhD (3 years) in single-cell bacterial electro-physiology and its relation to surface sensing and biofilm formation. The project is based on the experimental study of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor, and follows our recent results on the study of the Proton Motive Force in E.coli, revealed by the activity of individual flagellar motors on living cells. The project is pluridisciplinary, at the boundaries of physics, microbiology, and electro-chemistry. The ideal candidates has a strong background in physics and experimental biophysics (single cell, single molecule), as well as good knowledge of molecular (micro)biology, and scientific programming. To apply, or for more details, email Ashley or Francesco.
Master internship: Time-Lapse Raspberry Pi-based camera for monitoring fungal growth and bioluminescence
Fungal mycelium growth and bioluminescence exhibit fascinating time- and spatial-dependent patterns influenced by environmental conditions, genetic regulation, and circadian rhythms. This Masters Internship will design and construct a cost-effective, customizable time-lapse imaging system using a Raspberry Pi camera and incubator environment. The student will integrate hardware and software components, including a Raspberry Pi board, camera, and temperature-resistant housing, to withstand the controlled temperature and humidity conditions of an incubator. The imaging system will feature programmable intervals for capturing high-resolution time-lapse images, adjustable lighting, and synchronization with environmental parameters such as temperature and light cycles. Once developed, the device will be tested to monitor fungal mycelium growth and bioluminescence under different conditions. To apply, or for more details, email
Other
Interested in any aspect of our work? Please get in touch to discuss the possibility of jointly applying for Masters, PhD, or postdoc funding.