Postdoctoral Researcher - NanoBiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications

Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Life insurance

Job summary

ICN2 in Barcelona seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher in the NanoB2A group to develop multiplexed optical label-free biosensors for clinical diagnostics.

You will design and fabricate plasmonic nanostructures, optimize optical setups, integrate microfluidics, and validate prototypes within the SENTINEL PID2023 project.

The position is full-time until December 2027 with relocation support and life insurance; fluent English is required.

Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Engineering or related field.
• Strong background in nanofabrication and plasmonics.
• Experience in optical sensing and biosensors.
• Proficiency in LabVIEW and Python.
• Excellent English written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Design and fabricate metallic nanostructures and optical setups.
• Develop and integrate microfluidics for biosensing.
• Characterize biosensor performance and validate prototypes.
• Prepare reports and contribute to publications.

Skills

Nanofabrication

Plasmonics

Optical sensing

Python

LabVIEW

English fluency

Education

PhD in physics/engineering

Tools

Microfluidics

Optical setups

Chip fabrication

Job description

As a flagship research center in nanoscience and nanotechnology, our mission is to open and explore new frontiers of knowledge at the nanoscale, and bring value to society in the form of new understanding, capabilities and innovation, while inspiring and providing broad training to the next generations of researchers. Our values are Commitment, Collaboration and Transformation.

Our research lines focus on the newly-discovered physical and chemical properties that arise from the behaviour of matter at the nanoscale. ICN2 has been awarded with the Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence distinction for three consecutive periods (2014-2018 and 2018-2022 and 2023-2026). ICN2 comprises 20 Research Groups, 7 Technical Development and Support Units and Facilities, and 2 Research Platforms, covering different areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher

Department: NanoBiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications

Description of Group/Project: The NanoB2A group focuses on the development of novel nanobiosensor devices based on plasmonics, nanoplasmonics, and silicon-based photonics principles, including surface biofunctionalization, microfluidics for automatic fluid delivery and complete lab-on-a-chip integration for point-of-care devices. The application of the nanobiosensor devices in real clinical diagnostics and environmental control is one of the Group's main objectives. The Postdoc position is framed within the SENTINEL PID2023 Project titled "Design and implementation of a novel portable, multispot nanoplasmonic biosensor for the diagnosis of opportunistic fungal infections" funded by MCIU/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER, UE, and led by Dr. M.-Carmen Estevez. The candidate will participate in the different processes towards developing a novel plasmonic biosensor configuration including plasmonic chip preparation and nanostructures fabrication, optical characterization and integration, microfluidics design and fabrication for biosensing measurements, and final prototype evaluation. The candidate will be also involved in biosensing measurements to demonstrate the biosensor performance for the target clinical application. If you are interested in joining a young, dynamic and highly multidisciplinary team, with a highly innovative research project, this could be your opportunity.

Main Tasks and responsibilities: The candidate will be involved in all the steps in the development of a multiplexed optical label-free biosensor for its implementation in clinical diagnostics. The main tasks will include the design, fabrication and characterization of metallic nanostructures; the development and optimization of optical setups; and the design and integration of compatible microfluidics. The candidate will also contribute to the integration of optical, electronic and software components into a functional biosensing prototype, and its experimental validation.. Related tasks will also include: data analysis and processing; preparation of regular reports and presentations; and writing scientific publications.

Requirements:

• Education: PhD Degree in Physics, Engineering or related or related areas. Specialized in optics, in particular, plasmonics.
• Knowledge: Strong background in nanofabrication processes and plasmonics. Demonstrated experience in optical sensing and optical biosensors. Design of plasmonic chips and plasmonic nanostructures, optical setups design and engineering, and optical integration. Knowledge of microfluidics will be positively considered. Knowledge of Labview and Python. Excellent level of English (Fluent in writing and speaking) is required.
• Professional Experience: Experience in software development will be highly valued.
• Personal Competences: Highly motivated, enthusiastic, proactive and responsible. Good communication and organization skills.

Summary of conditions:

• Full time work (37,5h/week)
• Contract Length: until end of project, December 2027
• Salary will depend on qualifications and demonstrated experience.
• Support to the relocation issues.
• Life Insurance.

Equal opportunities:

At ICN2, we foster an inclusive and safe work environment, free from any form of discrimination-whether based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, origin, culture, religion, disability, or any other personal or social condition. We are committed to ensuring equal treatment and opportunities in all our processes, especially in recruitment, which is based solely on talent, experience, and ability. We implement proactive policies for inclusion and harassment prevention that reinforce our commitment to respect and fairness. If you share these values and are looking to grow in an open and diverse environment, ICN2 is ready to welcome you.