Lunds universitet, Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten, kemiska institutionen

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Work description

Nanotechnology is a component of many important research areas. Nanoparticles that enter the environment can have a negative effect on aquatic organisms. They can be absorbed by algae and filtering organisms and transported up through the food chain to ultimately affect top consumers' biochemistry and behaviour. However, much of the knowledge about the effect of nanoparticles on biology comes from studies with manufactured particles tested in acute toxic systems. It is becoming increasingly clear in the research that the shape, chemistry and aggregation of nanoparticles will change in nature and that this change affects the toxicity of the particles. In addition, nanoparticles that do not exhibit toxicity in acute tests can have serious effects when the organisms are exposed to low concentrations of nanoparticles for long periods. There is therefore a great need to test nanoparticles that have been transformed into experimental environments that are similar to the natural in long-term tests. 

In this project, we will, together with other research groups, transform nanoparticles into environment-like conditions, characterize them with respect to size, aggregation, surface chemistry and form and test them in acute, long-term and food chain systems consisting of algae, zooplankton and fish. The effect of the nanoparticles will be read as mortality, behavioural changes, and biochemical changes. The work will be done in close collaboration with various research groups who are experts on different test systems including zebra fish and fish and human cell lines. The data will be further used for computer simulations on nanoparticle behaviour in aquatic environments and in cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop new risk assessment systems, propose new regulatory documents and develop collaborations with authorities and companies with the aim of creating an environment that enables a safe but innovative development of nanotechnology. 

The project is part of the MISTRA Environmental Nanosafety program Phase 2. The program collaborates with research groups with different backgrounds from six different universities in Sweden and Denmark and four large companies to investigate how nanomaterials transformation in nature affects its effect on nature with the aim of creating risk assessments and regulatory document that takes environmental impact into account, but at the same time ensures continued innovative development of nanotechnology. 

Within the Department of Chemistry at Lund University, you will also be a part of a collaborating

network of students and scientists at the Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology (http://www.cmps.lu.se/biostruct/).

Qualifications

The candidate should hold a MSc in Parasitology or corresponding. The candidate should have documented work experience of taking water samples, both for zooplankton and phytoplankton, and from them isolate DNA, chlorophyll, dissolved organic nutrients, dissolved oxygen, and bacteria. Furthermore, the candidate should have documented work experience of maintaining Daphnia cultures.

The candidate should master: maintaining zooplankton and algae cultures, field sample taking, qPCR, PCR, gene sequence analysis, isolate RNA and DNA, synthesis cDNA, run gel electrophoresis and purify biological macro molecules, molecular phylogeny and preparing samples for electron microscopy analysis.

Experience in characterizing nanoparticles with DLS, NTA and disk centrifuge and also performing long and short term nanoparticle toxicity studies is creditable.

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

Type of employment Temporary position
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100
City Lund
County Skåne län
Country Sweden
Reference number PA2019/1281
Contact
  • Tommy Cedervall, forskare, 046-2228254
Union representative
  • OFR/ST:Fackförbundet ST:s kansli, 046-222 93 62
  • SACO:Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet, 046-222 93 64
Published 04.Apr.2019
Last application date 25.Apr.2019 11:59 PM CEST

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