PhD position Using microfluidics to observe and manipulate coacervate droplets

University of Groningen via AcademicTransfer; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation hours

End-of-year bonus

Professional development

Job summary

The University of Groningen is offering a 4-year PhD position within the Towards De-Novo Life project. The candidate will develop microfluidic tools to interrogate coacervate droplets, enabling growth, division, and Darwinian evolution studies in cell-like compartments.

Applicants should have an MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Physical or Analytical Chemistry, and hands-on microfabrication/microfluidics experience, plus fluency in English.

Qualifications

• MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering, Physical or Analytical Chemistry, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with microfabrication and microfluidics.
• Experience with fluorescence imaging.
• Enthusiasm, self-motivation, creativity, and team spirit.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written).

Responsibilities

• Develop a first-generation microfluidic platform to achieve growth and division of micrometer-sized coacervate droplets.
• Monitor populations of coacervate droplets using fluorescence microscopy.
• Incorporate nutrients and controlled removal to study evolution dynamics.
• Collaborate within a national multi-partner consortium on the Towards De-Novo Life project.

Skills

Microfluidics

Microfabrication

Fluorescence imaging

English communication

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Physical or Analytical Chemistry, or related

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Biological sciences > Biological engineering

Engineering > Biomedical engineering

Engineering > Chemical engineering

Organisation/Company University of Groningen Research Field Biological sciences > Biological engineering Engineering > Biomedical engineering Engineering > Chemical engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 11 Oct 2026 - 22:00 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are looking for a 4-year PhD candidate to join our nationally funded, multi-partner research consortium, Towards De-Novo Life. The main aim of this interdisciplinary project is to achieve minimal life based on chemical rather than biological components such as DNA, proteins or other macromolecules. Our PhD candidate will contribute by developing new microfluidic tools to work with micrometer-sized coacervate droplets, the compartments in which chemical replication, growth and evolution will take place.

What are you going to do?

The de-novo synthesis of life requires integrating the essential features of life, which include replication (the ability to copy oneself), metabolism (promoting the formation of one’s own components from material in the environment) and compartmentalization (keeping the internal components together and separate from the environment) into a system that is maintained out of equilibrium. Key to the creation of a minimal form of life is Darwinian evolution of the resulting synthetic cell-like systems. Serving as the compartments in our work are coacervate microdroplets, consisting of a very dense aqueous phase containing a high concentration of macromolecules. Because coacervates can exist in dilute aqueous phases without loss of droplet structure, they can act as cell-like spheres without the need of a membrane to contain their content.

In this project, you will use microfluidics to create a first-generation platform to achieve growth and division of micrometer-sized coacervate droplets. You will then consider populations of coacervate droplets confined in a second, more complex microfluidic platform, monitoring their growth and mutation rates. “Mother” droplets will be followed alongside their “daughters” using fluorescence microscopy, with addition of precursor materials (“nutrients”) and random removal of individuals (“death”).

We are looking for someone who meets the following qualifications:

• MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering, Physical or Analytical Chemistry, or related disciplines
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with microfabrication and microfluidics
• Experience with fluorescence imaging
• Enthusiasm, self-motivation, creativity, and team spirit
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment
• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written)

Preferred qualifications

• Programming skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for data analysis
• Ability to design and implement microcontroller-based control systems (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.)
• Experience with synthetic organic chemistry

Additional Information

What can you expect from us?

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

Information about applying

When scheduling meetings, we will take your schedule into account as much as possible. The University of Groningen considers social safety important. We strive to be a university where staff and students feel respected and at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identity. For more information, see also our page about our diversity policy .

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the NVP application code

Acquisition is not appreciated.

Additional comments

Do you have any questions or need more information?