Project description

Archaea are established as a separate branch in the tree of life next to bacteria. Eukaryotes are no longer considered a distinct and separate branch, but instead they are considered to be recent members of the archaeal branch. While the effect of controlled and synthetic 3D culture environments on a range of eurkaryotic cell types are widely recognized and can be harnessed to learn about and steer specific cell behaviours, application of this concept in archaea is practically non-existent. A major challenge for this close relative is that many archaea thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperature, high osmolarity, low pH or high pressure. In this project, the aim is to develop new polymer materials that can withstand such conditions to permit their study. We envisage that these materials will contribute to understanding the environment that influences the behaviour of archaea but can also provide a user-defined platform to steer them in for production of proteins, enzymes, and compounds in industrial settings.

Additional specifications

We look for a candidate with a MSc in (Organic) Chemistry or Molecular Life Sciences or a related discipline. Experience with small molecule or polymer synthesis, 3D cell culture is recommended. This project will entail both small molecule and polymer synthesis, materials characterization using several techniques and their biological evaluation.