Eurizon.eu

Organization: Universitat Rovira I Virgili

Location: Tarragona, Spain

Field: Chemistry

Requirements:

Basic knowledge of the word processor as well as spreadsheets and presentation software.
The ideal candidate should be in possession of a Master in Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Analytical Sciences, Physics and Biophysics or of relevance to the project. Applicants should have an interest in innovation, nanoscience and nanotechnology, and be motivated to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Although Castellano and Catalan are the languages used on a daily basis, a reasonable spoken and written English is required. The research group that the successfull candidate will join is mulitcultural and the common language is English

Abstract:

A PhD studentship is available, in the area of cancer diagnostics at the Nanobioengineering and Bioanalysis Group, University Rovira I Virgili (Spain).

Description:

A PhD studentship is available, in the area of cancer diagnostics at the Nanobioengineering and Bioanalysis Group, University Rovira I Virgili (Spain). The studentship is funded for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress, and covers tuition fees and an annual stipend for maintenance. The proposed research project aims at the study and the final development of a robust surface chemistry methodology for the efficient on-chip integration of modified oligonucleotide probes at individual electrochemical transducers.

Research project:

DNA biosensors are widely used diagnostic tools in the field of genomics and expression profiling, often organised in the format of microarrays to allow parallel screening. The ability to screen a single sample for a multitude of genetic parameters simultaneously has allowed researchers to achieve considerable advances in the understanding of diseases such as mental illnesses, heart disease, infectious diseases and cancers with the aim to tailor the necessary treatment adequately.

The successful candidate will join a research team currently developing an electrochemical microarray sensor for the early detection of breast and prostate cancer biomarkers in the frame of the FP7 funded MIRACLE project.
During the project, surface chemistry for the immobilisation of oligonucleotides will be investigated. Techniques for the physical nanostructuring of the micro-transducers will be investigated such as self-assembled monolayers, block copolymers, e-beam lithography or meso/nanoporous layers. Additional strategies for enhancing the density of oligonucleotides probes at the transducer surface based on synthetic chemistry will be considered.
This project is multidisciplinary in nature and offers a great opportunity to gain experience in the field of molecular self-assembly and recognition at surfaces, as well as exposure to molecular biology, instrumentation design and microfabrication techniques.

Deadline: 18-04-2011

Contacts:

Link: http://www.miracle-fp7.eu

Link: http://www.urv.cat

Email: olivier.henry@urv.cat

Phone number: +34 977558112

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