Open positions

Interested in nanoscience research? Please remember to check this page where we regularly post job offers for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scientists at the Adolphe Merkle Institute. Chemistry, materials science, analytics, physics, and biophysics are all at the core of our scientific projects. We offer a uniquely stimulating interdisciplinary research environment, state-of-the-art laboratories, excellent working conditions, competitive salaries, and outstanding career prospects. Our alumni regularly take up attractive positions in academia, public research organizations, and industry around the world.

  • PhD Position in Natural white pigments based on Guanine

    The Adolphe Merkle Institute's Soft Matter Physics Group (Prof. Ullrich Steiner) and the Soft Matter and Photonics Group (Prof. Frank Scheffold) at the Physics Department of the University of Fribourg invite applications for a PhD Position in Natural white pigments based on Guanine.

    Many industries today use nanoscale white pigments, including food, pharma, inks, paint, and coatings. The white pigment market is dominated by one material: titanium dioxide (TiO2). Recently regulators in Switzerland and the EU have moved to ban the material, however, deeming it unfit for consumption as a food additive (E171). In parallel, companies are turning to natural and sustainable solutions, seeing them as strategic opportunities because of customer demand for these products.

    Inspired by marine animals and spiders, this research project aims to manufacture, optimize and characterize high refractive index optical scatterers, or nanoscale particles, from guanine. Guanine is the biopolymer with the highest known refractive index (n=1.83) and is therefore ideally suited to maximize the dielectric contrast between the scatterers and their surrounding medium. To assure industrial feasibility, the project will be accompanied by Dr. Raphaël Pugin (CSEM). The project will be part of the National Center of Competence in Research Bio-Inspired Materials network (bioinspired-materials.ch), whose technology transfer manager will train the student with technology transfer skills and assist the project in commercialization.

    Applicants must have a Master’s degree in Chemistry or Polymer/Materials Science and wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. Experience in polymer synthesis and processing, the ability to advance a complex project independently and as part of a team, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in English are key requirements for this position. Previous experience in the synthesis of biopolymers and optics is desirable. AMI offers attractive employment conditions and outstanding infrastructure in a new research facility.

    The position will be filled as soon as possible. Please send your CV, motivation letter, and contact information of at least two references as one PDF file via E‐mail to ami.applications@unifr.ch with the subject title “PhD Position Guanine”.

  • PhD Position - Healable Polymers

    The Adolphe Merkle Institute's Polymer Chemistry and Materials Group (Prof. Christoph Weder) invites applications for a PhD Position in Healable Polymers.

    Healable polymers hold the promise to enable products that offer better performance, longer service life, and lower environmental impact, but the transfer of such materials from research labs into real-world applications has been slow. To address this, a readily scalable design approach to create healable polymers will be investigated in collaboration with an industrial partner. The project is part of the National Center of Competence in Research Bio-Inspired Materials (bioinspired-materials.ch).

    Applicants must have a Master’s degree in Chemistry or Polymer/Materials Science and wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. Experience in polymer synthesis and processing, the ability to advance a complex project independently and as part of a team, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in English are key requirements for this position. Previous experience in research on batteries and/or ion-conducting polymers is desirable. AMI offers very attractive employment  conditions and an outstanding infrastructure in a new research facility.

    The position will be filled as soon as possible. Please send your CV, motivation letter, and contact information of at least two references as one PDF file via E‐mail to ami.applications@unifr.ch with the subject title “PhD Position Healable Polymers”.

  • PhD Position - Bio-Inspired Polymer Batteries

    The Adolphe Merkle Institute's Polymer Chemistry and Materials Group (Prof. Christoph Weder) invites applications for a PhD Position in Bio-Inspired Polymer Batteries.

    This project addresses our society’s urgent need for new power storage systems. We target new batteries whose design is inspired by the “power plants” of electric fish. The research activities range  from the synthesis and processing of polymer electrolytes and ion-selective membranes to the fabrica-tion and testing of batteries. The project is a collaboration with the groups of Profs. Michael Mayer (AMI), Joseph Najem (Penn State University), and Amir Barati Farimani (Carnegie Mellon University).

    Applicants must have a Master’s degree in Chemistry or Polymer/Materials Science and wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. Experience in polymer synthesis and processing, the ability to advance a complex project independently and as part of a team, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in English are key requirements for this position. Previous experience in research on batteries and/or ion-conducting polymers is desirable. AMI offers very attractive employment  conditions and an outstanding infrastructure in a new research facility.

    The position will be filled as soon as possible. Please send your CV, motivation letter, and contact information of at least two references as one PDF file via E‐mail to ami.applications@unifr.ch with the subject title “PhD Position Bio-Inspired Polymer Batteries”.

  • PhD Position - Dynamic Polymer Networks

    The Adolphe Merkle Institute's Polymer Chemistry and Materials Group (Prof. Christoph Weder) invites applications for a PhD Position in Dynamic Polymer Networks.

    This project is focused on the design, synthesis, and exploration of a new class of complex polymer networks. We target materials that contain different types of reversible bonds, which render the materials adaptive and promote multiple functions such as damage-sensing and self-healing. The research activities will involve the synthesis and processing of novel materials and the investigation of their structure-property relationships. The project is a collaborative effort with the research group of Prof. Stuart Rowan (University of Chicago) and will involve international research exchanges.

    Applicants must have a Master’s degree in Chemistry or Polymer/Materials Science and wish to pursue interdisciplinary research in a fast-moving international team. Experience in organic and polymer synthesis, the ability to advance a complex project independently and as part of a team, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in English are key requirements for this position. AMI offers very attractive employment  conditions and an outstanding infrastructure in a new research facility.

    The position will be filled as soon as possible. Please send your CV, motivation letter, and contact information of at least two references as one PDF file via E‐mail to ami.applications@unifr.ch with the subject title “PhD Position Dynamic Polymer Networks”.