Postdoc: development of a novel MINFLUX microscope (Parental leave replacement)

Univie; Wien; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Remote/hybrid and/or part-time work

Internal training & coaching

Job summary

University of Vienna seeks a postdoctoral scientist to develop a high-end MINFLUX microscope for structural cell biology. You will collaborate with an electrical engineer on instrument control software and electronics, joining a lab with extensive microscopy experience at the Max Perutz Labs.

The role requires a PhD in physics or engineering, strong optics expertise, and fluency in English. It is a parental leave replacement ending 11 June 2027, with opportunities to participate in teaching and

Qualifications

• PhD in physics or engineering required or very strong equivalent.
• Strong background in optics and developing complex microscope hardware.
• Experience with building scanning microscopes (STED, confocal) is beneficial.
• Excellent spoken and written English skills.

Responsibilities

• Active participation in research, teaching & administration.
• Publish internationally and give lectures.
• Support the group on the optics side and contribute to project development.
• Contribute to evaluation measures and quality assurance.
• Take on administrative tasks in research, teaching and administration.

Skills

Optics

Python

FPGA

English proficiency

Teamwork

Education

PhD in physics or engineering

Job description

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At the University of Vienna, over 10,000 people work together on the big questions of the future. Approximately 7,500 of them are academic staff members. These are individuals who, with their curiosity and their continuous pursuit of excellence, engage in international cutting-edge research and teaching. With us, you will also find space to unfold your potential. We are looking for a/an

Postdoc: development of a novel MINFLUX microscope (Parental leave replacement)

Job ID:6391

The Ries lab is developing super-resolution microscopy methods for structural cell biology. In this project we will develop a fast, simple, and robust 3D and multi-color MINFLUX microscope with highest performance as open source.

About the Max Perutz Labs

The successful applicant will work in a stimulating scientific environment, the Department for Structural and Computational Biology at the Max Perutz Labs, a research institute established by the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna to provide an environment for excellent, internationally recognized research and education in the field of Molecular Biology. Dedicated to a mechanistic understanding of fundamental biomedical processes, scientists at the Max Perutz Labs aim to link breakthroughs in basic research to advances in human health. The Max Perutz Labs are located at the Vienna BioCenter, one of Europe’s hotspots for Life Sciences, and host 44 research groups, involving around 400 scientists and staff from more than 40 nations.

About the position/ the research project

Access to MINFLUX microscopy is limited by the cost of commercial and the difficulty of building custom instruments. We recently developed an excitation module for MINFLUX that will substantially reduce the complexity and cost of a custom microscope (Deguchi & Ries, bioRxiv 2023, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.31.564945). In this project we will develop this idea into a prototype and then into a stable open-source microscope for the community.
You will work closely together with an electrical engineer who will be developing the instrument control software and electronics, and you will be part of a laboratory with long-standing microscope development experience.

Your personal sphere of play:

We are looking for a talented, highly motivated postdoctoral scientist who is excited to develop a high-end microscope that will be useful for biological discovery. You should hold a PhD degree in physics or engineering and should have a strong background in optics and developing complex microscope hardware. Experience building scanning microscopes (STED, confocal) and in programming (Python, FPGA) is beneficial.
Training and supervision will be provided throughout the project, but we also expect a high level of drive and independence. Excellent spoken and written English skills are required.

This position is a parental leave replacement and limited until June 11, 2027.

Active participation in research, teaching & administration, which means:

• You are involved in research projects and scientific studies.
• You publish internationally and give lectures.
• You support the group on the optics side.
• You hold courses independently within the scope of the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
• You participate in evaluation measures and in quality assurance.
• You take on administrative tasks in research, teaching and administration.

This is part of your personality:

• You hold a PhD degree in physics or engineering
• Research competence and initiative proven through international publications in peer-relevant media
• Excellent scientific track record
• Excited about pushing the limits of optical microscopy
• Experience in developing microscopy technologies.
• Excellent spoken and written English skills
• Team player and high social/communicative skills

What we offer:

Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible working hours, remote/hybrid and/or part-time work (upon agreement).

Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.

Good public transport connections: Your workplace in the center of beautiful Vienna is easily accessible by public transport.

Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from - free of charge.

Fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 5.014,30 14 times/year increases if we can credit professional experience.

Equal opportunities for everyone: We look forward to diverse personalities in the team!

Interviews will be held on a rolling basis and as soon as a suitable candidate is found, the position will be filled.

Further information about the Ries lab at:

If you have any questions, please contact:

We look forward to new personalities in our team!
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity . We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.