Jobs in Structural Biology and Related Fields


Two Post-doctoral Fellowships on Transmission Electron Microscopy/Crystallography


Stockholm, Sweden
Application deadline: 02 May 2013


Stockholm University, a modern university with a multicultural environment, is one of the world’s top 100 higher education institutes. Here more than 60,000 students and 5,000 staff are active within science, the humanities and the social sciences. Stockholm is a cultural hub and economic centre, with many green areas and surrounded by water, making it an ideal place in which to enjoy a relaxed and exciting student life.

The Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry is a leading institution in materials synthesis and structure characterization. They recently obtained a large grant for the project “3D Electron Microscopy for Nanostructure Research (3DEM-NATUR)” from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The 3DEM-NATUR project aims at developing new electron microscopy methods to obtain 3D structural information for studying atomic and mesoscopic arrangements in solids, on surfaces and at interfaces. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is widely used for studying nano-sized crystals, interfaces, phase boundaries and their surfaces. Although each TEM image gives only two-dimensional (2D) information, we combine different views of the material to get the 3D structures. More information about the 3DEM-NATUR project can be found at: su.avedas.com/converis/contract/5602.

Main tasks

Structure information is essential for understanding the properties and functions for all materials and molecules. The tasks of the post-doctoral fellows are 1) to quantitatively characterize the crystal structures of complicated materials, such as porous materials (zeolites, metal-organic frameworks etc), metal nanoparticle catalyst and intermetallics (quasicrystals and their approximants) and 2) to develop new TEM methods for 3D structure characterization. The techniques to be used are electron diffraction, HRTEM, STEM and 3D electron tomography. In particularily Rotation Electron Diffraction (RED), a novel high-throughput method for collecting complete 3D electron diffraction data developed by us will be used. With RED we can collect ~1000 diffraction patterns per hour, making it possible to quantitatively reconstruct 3D reciprocal space in high resolution. RED does not only improve our understanding of the structure-property relationship but also provides new possibilities to answer fundamental questions on electron crystallography.

We seek two self-motivated post-doctoral candidates who completed Ph.D. studies in physics, materials science, chemistry in 2010 or later. Strong experience on HRTEM/STEM and/or crystallography is essential. Good knowledge on computers and programming is an advantage. The successful candidates will be working closely with researchers in internationally leading laboratories or companies, therefore she/he should have strong collaborative, organizational and communication skill and be a good team player. The 3DEM-NATUR project provides the candidates unique possibilities to develop themselves as independent researchers.

Terms of employment

The positions will be for one year with the possibility of extension for another year. The preliminary starting date of the positions is 1st September 2013, but this can be negotiated.

Stockholm University strives to be a work place that is free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Information

For further questions about the positions, please contact Prof. Xiaodong Zou,  xzou@mmk.su.se, telephone +46-(0)8-16 2389, or Prof. Sven Hovmöller, sven.hovmoller@mmk.su.se, telephone +46-(0)8-16 2380.

More information about Xiaodong Zou’s group can be found at: www.mmk.su.se/page.php?pid=929.

Union representatives

Anqi Lindblom-Ahlm (Saco-S) and Lisbeth Häggberg (Fackförbundet ST), telephone +46-(0)8-16 2000 (switch board), and Gunnar Stenberg (SEKO), telephone +46-(0)70-316 43 41.

Application

Your application should contain:

  • a letter of intent describing your related research experience and motivating your qualification to the position,
  • CV with list of publications and
  • contact details for at least two academic referees.

Please send your application, marked with the reference number SU FV-1095-13, no later than May 2, 2013, by e-mail to: registrator@su.se.

IMPORTANT: State the Ref. No. SU FV-1095-13 in the subject line.